LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 10: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Las Vegas Raiders walks on the field before a game against the Chicago Bears at Allegiant Stadium on October 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bears defeated the Raiders 20-9. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Jon Gruden and Derek Carr shockingly reunite in New Orleans
For the first time since 2021, former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden has resurfaced with an NFL franchise. It may not be in an official capacity at this point, but Gruden — according to multiple reports — was directly working with the New Orleans Saints and their new quarterback, his old pal Derek Carr, this week.
There are few NFL stories that will actually shock you in late May, but here we have one. Gruden previously resigned from his position as head coach of the Raiders in 2021 after there were leaked emails from Gruden including what ESPN reported as being “racist, misogynistic, and anti-gay” in the language they included.
Gruden, at the time, stated that he loved the Raiders and didn’t want to be a “distraction” to the team, which is why he resigned from the role he was actually reprising at the time. Gruden had previously worked for the Raiders as their head coach from 1998-2001 before he was infamously traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers leading up to the 2002 season.
That trade burned the Raiders badly. They lost the Super Bowl that year — to Gruden and the Buccaneers, no less — and went on an extremely long playoff drought.
Jon Gruden making his return to the NFL, reuniting with Derek Carr?
Gruden’s return to the NFL would not be overly shocking. He’s a good coach, and when you’re good at something, the NFL will overlook a lot to employ you, especially if enough time has passed by. And this isn’t the first time Gruden has appeared at the Saints’ facility…
The Saints’ current offensive coordinator is Pete Carmichael. Carmichael obviously hasn’t worked hands-on with Derek Carr like Gruden has, and it’s not the worst idea when you’re talking about a massive investment in the QB position to bring in a guy who has previously worked with said QB to help install the offense. In his last full season with the Raiders (2020), Gruden had that offensive unit in the top 10 of the NFL. Although he wasn’t around for the end of the season, the Raiders won 10 games in 2021 and made the playoffs as well.
Needless to say, this is a rather shocking development. Jon Gruden has been in an ongoing legal battle since all of this hit the fan in 2021. As of January 2023, it seems the legal proceedings had been put on pause.
The question now becomes whether or not Jon Gruden is back in the NFL for good, or if this is just the Saints trying to make the most out of their investment. Everyone undoubtedly saw how things went in Denver last year with Russell Wilson and Nathaniel Hackett, proving you can’t always just fill in the blank with a quarterback and things work out great.
It makes sense for the Saints to exhaust every option possible. But this is still a shocker given all that has transpired since October 2021.
