Craig Carton believes he finally has the full story on the strange flirtation between the New York Jets and Jon Gruden.
With the Jets in need of a new offensive coordinator, The Athletic recently reported that head coach Aaron Glenn had spoken with Gruden about the job. However, the outlet issued a caveat that Gruden chose not to officially pursue the role, even as he continues to publicly campaign for a return to the NFL coaching ranks.
A day after Gruden himself told a Tampa radio show that “there was never anything from the Jets,” Carton offered what he said was a full explanation of the saga, after speaking with the team.
“Yes, Aaron Glenn reached out to Jon Gruden just to talk to him about the possibility of what he thought about returning to the NFL,” Carton explained Friday on The Carton Show. “And if he wanted to, would you want to talk to the Jets?”
Craig sets the record straight on Jon Gruden, Aaron Glenn, and the Jets:@craigcartonlive pic.twitter.com/wqq0gmlieo
— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) January 30, 2026
Carton seemed to argue that both sides were right: Gruden spoke with Glenn, but did not get offered New York’s OC job.
“They didn’t offer him the job,” Carton said. “And anyone that wants to tell me today that Aaron Glenn did not pick up the phone and call Jon Gruden, you are just flat-out, factually wrong. I want to be clear about it. Aaron Glenn picked up the phone … he called Jon Gruden. He did not offer him a job. They had a football conversation. Period, (full) stop.
“Now all of a sudden, this story has crazy legs like the Jets are offering people jobs, and they’re being told no. That never happened.”
It’s only a matter of time before Gruden surfaces as a real candidate for an NFL job. Perhaps he sees himself as a head coach rather than a coordinator, or perhaps he does not want to work for the abysmal Jets.
The team has, after all, churned through three OCs and two head coaches in the past five seasons — and does not have a long-term answer at quarterback.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.