NFL Insider Has a Problem with Former Raiders' HC's Ouster

The Las Vegas Raiders are entering the season with their third head coach in three years, a situation linked to the departure of former coach Jon Gruden during the 2021 season. Analyst Mike Florio examined Gruden's potential for returning to the NFL as a head coach, identifying two major complications. The first complication stems from the inappropriate emails, sent years prior while Gruden worked at ESPN, which were leaked to the Wall Street Journal and subsequently the New York Times, ultimately leading to his resignation from the Raiders.

The second complication is Gruden's ongoing lawsuit against the NFL. This lawsuit, currently pending before the Nevada Supreme Court, centers on whether Gruden must go to arbitration or can proceed in open court to determine who orchestrated the leak of emails from the Washington Commanders investigation – the action Gruden refers to as a "code red" that ended his coaching tenure.

Florio expressed doubt that any NFL team would hire Gruden, primarily due to the content revealed in the emails. He believes the league itself would likely disapprove of such a hire. Florio also criticized the timing of the email leaks, arguing it undermined the integrity of the 2021 season by forcing Gruden out just five weeks in. He questioned what the Raiders could have achieved had Gruden coached the entire season, noting they still reached the Wild Card round and nearly beat the eventual AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals.