Jon Gruden seems to be loving life at his new home in Barstool Sports, but he might not be there for long.
The former Super Bowl winner and longtime Monday Night Football analyst saw his second term as an NFL head coach end in disgrace when he resigned from the Las Vegas Raiders during the 2021 season after a series of e-mails were made public where he used offensive language, even calling NFL commissioner Roger Goodell a homophobic slur.
Gruden flew under the radar for a couple of years before resurfacing this fall with a new YouTube channel that displayed his trademark enthusiasm for the game, trying to put the scandal behind him. That led to an opportunity at Barstool Sports where he has thrived with the loose environment around him. And now it could lead to a return to the NFL sidelines.
In an appearance on Good Morning Football, NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero reported that Jon Gruden is getting serious interest from teams who are “doing extensive homework” on him as a head coaching candidate.
From @gmfb: Breaking down some big names in the upcoming coaching carousel with @PSchrags — and one surprise name you may hear. @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/t3dfHIiCu2
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 31, 2024
“Keep an eye on Jon Gruden. We have not seen Gruden on a full-time basis in the NFL since back in 2021 when he resigned after offensive e-mails were leaked to the media that he had sent while working as an analyst at ESPN. However, he has remained engaged. We saw him on the sideline with the Bucs owners earlier this fall, we saw him working with the Saints back in training camp last year. My understanding is if he wanted the Saints offensive coordinator job last year, he could have had it,” Pelissero said.
“It’s not to say for sure that Jon Gruden will be back, but there are multiple teams that have been doing extensive homework on Jon Gruden, the situation, him as a coach, him as a person, I would not be surprised at all if in the coming weeks you see Jon Gruden’s name popping up interviewing for a head coaching job,” he added.
Pelissero isn’t alone in thinking that Chucky would eventually work his way back to the sidelines. Boomer Esiason also predicted that Jon Gruden would return to the league either this offseason or next for a job.
Of course, whoever does end up hiring Gruden will have to confront any scrutiny or criticism that comes with his checkered past and the e-mails that sent him out of the league in the first place. Some serious questions will be asked about who Gruden is as a person and any work he’s done since. But if Thom Brennaman can make a comeback in 2024, maybe Gruden won’t be far behind.
