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Jon Gruden desperately wants to be a coach again, but even he has a line he won’t cross.
Gruden, of course, parted ways with the Las Vegas Raiders in the third year of a 10-year contract after using racist, sexist and homophobic language in emails.
He has since joined Barstool Sports and has expressed keen interest in returning to football in some capacity, but there is one team he does not want to be a part of.
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Head coach Jon Gruden of the Las Vegas Raiders walks on the field before a game against the Chicago Bears at Allegiant Stadium on October 10, 2021, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Gruden was reportedly contacted by the New York Jets about the idea of joining their team, but he was not interested.
It’s unclear what Gruden’s role would have been, but he automatically would have been the top voice in the building. The Athletic was the first to report the news.
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, a die-hard New England Patriots fan, said on X that it was the “Top 1 most insulting job offer of all time.”
The Jets replaced almost their entire coaching staff except the head coach. Aaron Glenn parted ways with many assistants after just one year, including his offensive and defensive coordinators.
Last season, in the midst of their 3-14 record, they became the first team in NFL history to not record an interception all season. They have also lost each of their last five games by at least 23 points, another first in the NFL. It was the third time the Jets lost at least 14 games, also under Rich Kotite and Adam Gase.
Head coach Aaron Glenn of the New York Jets looks on before the game against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium on December 28, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Evan Bernstein/Getty Images)
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Tanner Engstrand and the Jets reportedly parted ways Tuesday after numerous conversations regarding a change in his role. They failed to agree on what his role should be, leading to the split.
Three different quarterbacks started for the Jets, with Justin Fields on the bench and Tyrod Taylor injured in his absence, prompting Brady Cook to start late in the season.
At the trade deadline, the Jets traded Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams for draft capital. Those trades took place with the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys, both of whom missed the playoffs. The picks they got (first from the Colts in 2026 and second from Dallas in 2026) aren’t bad at all. Additionally, the Jets now own the second pick in the draft.
Gruden sued the NFL after leaving the Raiders, alleging a “malicious, orchestrated campaign” was used to destroy his career by leaking the emails. The leaked messages were from his time as an analyst at ESPN and broadcaster of “Monday Night Football.”
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 denied the NFL’s petition to reconsider that decision.
Gruden worked with Derek Carr after joining the New Orleans Saints and visiting the Detroit Lions. With Barstool, he met the new professional quarterbacks for “Gruden’s QB Camp.”
Jon Gruden, then coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, during a joint practice against the Los Angeles Rams on August 18, 2021. (Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)
“I hope I’m not done. I’m about to make a comeback,” Gruden said of his training in 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.”
