It seems Rex Ryan isn’t the only wild-card candidate who could be taking a ride on this year’s NFL coaching carousel.
A number of teams are “doing extensive homework” on former Raiders coach Jon Gruden, who resigned midway through the team’s 2021 campaign after leaked emails showed he used homophobic and misogynistic language.
“Keep an eye on Jon Gruden,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday during an appearance on “Good Morning Football.”
“… 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.”
The buzz surrounding Gruden, 61, comes on the heels of his new career venture at Barstool Sports, which was announced in November.
Gruden began his second stint with the Raiders in 2018 after serving as a commentator on “Monday Night Football.”
He was at the helm in Oakland and Las Vegas for three-and-a-half seasons before stepping down from his coaching duties in the wake of the email scandal.
Gruden filed a lawsuit against NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the league in November 2021, accusing the NFL of “selectively leaking” past vulgar messages sent to ex-Washington president Bruce Allen amid an investigation into the team’s workplace culture during the Daniel Snyder era.
Despite the fallout from his Raiders’ resignation, Gruden has not strayed far from the league.
The Super Bowl-winning coach with the Buccaneers worked with Tampa’s NFC South rival Saints during the 2023 offseason, with Pelissero adding Tuesday that “if [Gruden] wanted the Saints’ offensive coordinator job last year, he could have had it.”
Klint Kubiak instead took the job in New Orleans.
New Orleans is one of three current openings in the league, along with the Bears and Jets.
The Jets are set to bring in former Panthers and Commanders coach Ron Rivera for an interview while Ryan, who coached the team from 2009 to 2014, is publicly lobbying for a second run.
Former тιтans coach Mike Vrabel is one of the buzziest names to watch this hiring cycle, as well as Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
More openings will likely pop up following the conclusion of the regular season on Jan. 5.
