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Jon Gruden has made his desire to return to the bench very clear, but first he might stop again.
Gruden’s coaching days have been in limbo since he parted ways with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021 during his third year of a 10-year contract. He left after emails surfaced showing he used racist, sexist and homophobic language.
The leaked messages were from his time as an analyst at ESPN and broadcaster of “Monday Night Football.” Ironically, his next move to professional football could play out the same way.
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Then-Raiders head coach Jon Gruden leaves the field at halftime during an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears on October 10, 2021, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
According to Ira Kaufman of JoeBucsFan, Gruden is expected to be on the call for an NFL preseason game, and Kaufman “believes[s]“he will do the play-by-play.
Gruden’s agency did not immediately respond to an email from PK Press Club Digital.
While looking for a job in professional football, Gruden made a name for himself with Barstool Sports, doing film study-style interviews with future quarterbacks, just as he did with ESPN years ago.
Gruden sued the NFL after leaving the Raiders, alleging a “malicious, orchestrated campaign” was used to destroy his career by leaking the emails.
Gruden benefited from a key ruling in his case against the league in August when the Nevada Supreme Court determined his case could proceed in court rather than through arbitration. In October, the Nevada Supreme Court unanimously rejected NFL petition to reconsider this decision.
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden talks with quarterback Derek Carr (4) during the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SOFi Stadium. (Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports)
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“I hope I’m not done. I’m about to make a comeback,” Gruden said of his training last July. “I’m hoping that some of these guys that fell out of my branch, if you put it that way, maybe they can hire me because I’m looking for a job.
“I don’t care if I coach at Jones Junior High. I’ll coach again. I’m still coaching. I’m just not officially on a team, but I have private assignments that I work on, and I wear clothes when I watch the games that no one knows who I’m shooting for.”
Gruden squashed reports that he was offered a role with the New York Jets, saying he got “nothing” from them.
Head coach John Gruden of the Las Vegas Raiders reacts before a game against the Chicago Bears at Allegiant Stadium on October 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Jeff Bottari/Getty Images)
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Gruden won the Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003.
