Jon Gruden Eyeing a Comeback-But Not With the Jets
Jon Gruden wants back in. The former Raiders and Buccaneers head coach has made it clear: he’s not done with football. But if you’re a New York Jets fan hoping he might be part of the solution to your team’s ongoing struggles-don’t hold your breath.
Gruden, who’s been out of the NFL since 2021 after his controversial resignation from the Raiders, reportedly turned down an opportunity to join the Jets’ coaching staff under first-year head coach Aaron Glenn. According to The Athletic, the Jets reached out to Gruden-possibly for the offensive coordinator role-but he wasn’t interested.
And that decision is hitting hard for a fanbase that just endured a 3-14 season, extending the franchise’s playoff drought to a staggering 15 years. On social media, the reaction was swift and, frankly, brutal.
One fan posted, “If this was a serious football opportunity, his lack of interest says a lot about how the league views the Jets internally.” Another added, “Gruden knows a sinking ship when he sees one and wisely chooses to avoid the chaos of the Jets.”
It’s a tough pill to swallow, but it speaks volumes about the perception of the Jets around the league. When a coach with Gruden’s baggage still opts to pass, it’s a sign that the rebuild in New York might be even steeper than it looks on paper.
Gruden, for his part, hasn’t been shy about his desire to coach again-whether in the NFL or college ranks. Last summer, while visiting the Detroit Lions’ training camp, he told reporters, “Hopefully I’m not done.
I’m about to make a comeback. I’m working hard to maybe get one more shot.”
Gruden’s coaching résumé is nothing to scoff at. He made his name on the offensive side of the ball before landing the Raiders’ head coaching job in 1998. After four seasons in Oakland, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he famously led the team to a Super Bowl XXXVII win-against his former Raiders squad, no less.
He returned to the Raiders in 2018 during the team’s transition from Oakland to Las Vegas, but his second stint didn’t deliver the same success. Gruden failed to guide the team to the playoffs, and his tenure came to an abrupt end in 2021 when a series of emails he had sent between 2011 and 2018 surfaced during the NFL’s investigation into workplace misconduct within the Washington Football Team (now the Commanders).
The emails, which included racist and homophobic language directed at then-NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith and commissioner Roger Goodell, were sent during Gruden’s time as an analyst for ESPN. The fallout was swift-Gruden resigned, and he later filed a lawsuit against the NFL and Goodell, alleging the league intentionally leaked the emails to force his departure.
While Gruden has pointed the finger at the league, a 2023 report from ESPN suggested that former Washington team owner Dan Snyder may have been behind the leaks in an effort to deflect attention from his own organization’s sexual harassment scandal.
Now, with the dust somewhat settled, Gruden is looking for a path back into coaching. But it won’t be with the Jets. And that, in itself, says something.
For a franchise desperate for credibility and offensive direction, passing on a veteran offensive mind-even one with Gruden’s complicated history-might be less about morality and more about optics. But when that coach passes on you? That’s a different story altogether.
The Jets will keep searching for answers. Gruden will keep waiting for the right opportunity.
And the rest of us? We’ll keep watching to see if either one finds what they’re looking for.