"I would like one more chance" - Jon Gruden makes feelings known on coaching again in NFL after controversial exit

Apart from his brief stint as a consultant for the New Orleans Saints in 2023, Jon Gruden has been out of the league since his untimely exit from the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021. The former Super Bowl-winning head coach, who also had an impeccable run as a broadcaster for nine years between 2009 and 2018, joined Barstool Sports last November and has been thriving in his role.

However, his social media success hasn't diminished his desire to coach. During an appearance on Ryan Fitzpatrick and Andrew Whitworth's Fitz and Whit podcast, Gruden revealed that he has been working with draft prospects and NFL players during the offseason to help them improve:

"I'm scratching that itch though right here. I've had more people come in here the last few weeks than probably any coach in the league. College guys, NFL guys. I'm studying every day, scratching that itch." [From 1:01:50]

He added that he's keen on returning to the sidelines and noted how well the Raiders started the 2021 campaign under his tutelage before he was forced to resign from his role as the team's head coach:

"I would like one more chance to do it because I thought we had that team on the right trajectory. We were 3-0. We beat three straight playoff teams and I thought we had a good young team and it really crushes me to see how everybody went different directions real fast. So deep down I'm kind of you know hoping someday I get a chance but I'm definitely not counting on anything. So I've reinvented myself." [1:02:00]

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Why did the Raiders fire Jon Gruden?

The Raiders' firing of Jon Gruden had nothing to do with the team's on-field performance or any issues with the front office or team owners. Instead, it stemmed from the league's investigation into allegations of workplace malpractice against the Washington Commanders and their general manager, Bruce Allen.

Gruden had never worked for the team but had a good relationship with Allen. Investigators uncovered several emails that he had sent to the Commanders' executive where he used racist, misogynistic, and homophobic slurs against NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, former NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith, and Michael Sam, the league's first openly gay player.

The controversy forced Gruden to resign from his position as the Raiders' head coach. He has since been out of the league and is waiting for a team to allow him to showcase his coaching ability.