Jon Gruden Shares New Take on NFL Coaching Return Amid Ongoing Legal Dispute With Roger Goodell

Jon Gruden had spent years talking about a return to coaching, but his priorities appeared to have changed by September. While speaking on Scripps Sports Network, the former Raiders and Buccaneers coach said he no longer wanted to return simply for the sake of having another NFL job. Gruden had continued working around football through Barstool Sports, yet his coaching future remained tied to a difficult past. His legal fight with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell had also continued, with a trial scheduled for May 2027.

Will Jon Gruden Return to NFL coaching?

Gruden said he had reached a point where he would need a special opportunity to leave his current life behind.

“I'm not fighting to go just to coach anywhere; I don't want to go work in any city, I just don't want to,” Gruden said on Scripps Sports Network. “I got a nice life here, I got a hell of a team, Barstool Sports is undefeated, man, you know, it would take a hell of an opportunity for me to come back, I don't need to do it.”

His position marked a shift from his earlier comments. In 2024, Gruden joined Barstool Sports as its “Head Coach” and continued working on football shows and other projects. He had previously said he wanted to coach again and had even expressed strong interest in coaching in the SEC. Gruden's NFL coaching career included a Super Bowl win with Tampa Bay in the 2002 season. His second Raiders stint began in 2018 but ended in 2021 after offensive emails he had written years earlier became public.

Jon Gruden's lawsuit against Roger Goodell

The email controversy had become central to Gruden's legal battle with the NFL. He alleged that the league or someone acting for Goodell leaked his emails to The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, damaging his reputation and contributing to his departure from the Raiders.

The NFL denied the allegation and argued that Gruden had not shown evidence that Goodell or the league leaked the messages. Sportico reported in August that a Nevada judge had criticized delays in Gruden's discovery process, while also granting the NFL's request to compel some materials and supporting a protective order.

While Gruden had continued preparing for a possible coaching return, he had also explored another path in football. In July, he said he wanted to move from broadcasting into a play-by-play role. His latest comments suggested that coaching was no longer something he felt he needed to pursue at any cost.