Just a few years ago former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden was fired and ostracized by the rest of the NFL for leaked emails that were considered racist.
Now, Gruden is hanging around on the field with Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid during training camp, offering input where he can.
Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid praised Jon Gruden’s input
Chiefs HC Andy Reid is trying to come up with ways to stay ahead of the rest of the NFL for a third straight season. The Chiefs and star quarterback Patrick Mahomes have dominated the NFL for half a decade, winning three of the last five Super Bowls, including two in a row.
Former Raiders and Buccaneers HC Jon Gruden is helping Reid do just that. The two coaches first developed a relationship during their time as offensive coaches for the Green Bay Packers in the early 1990s.
Reid explained in an article from Pro Football Talk that he enjoys having Gruden present at training camp.
“He loves football and he and I go way back — 30 years so we’ve known each other a long time,” Reid said. “So, it’s good to get him up here. He’s always got good input on things. [He’s] very smart, very good football — great football coach, so [I] enjoy having him around [and he has] great energy.”
Jon Gruden is still embroiled in controversy
Despite the emails of Gruden leaking in 2021, the Super Bowl-winning head coach is still embroiled in controversy.
Gruden is now in the process of attempting to sue the NFL even after failing to take on the league in legal battles on several occasions. Gruden claims that the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell leaked the emails in an effort to get Gruden pushed out of his job as the head coach of the Raiders.
Gruden originally lost in front of a three-judge panel before moving for reconsideration. A movement that was denied. The next move for Gruden is to ask for a seven-judge court instead of a three-judge court.
Regardless of the NFL’s involvement and whether Gruden comes out on top of the legal battle, there are still many fans who hold the content of the emails against Gruden.
Jon gruden has always been a shady sketchy kinda guy
Now I see him all geared up in chiefs colors at their training camp
As RAIDERS fans all we need to do is
IGNORED HIM AND STOP GIVING HIM
ATTENTION
He deserves what he got for being A BIGOT and a RACIST mofo pic.twitter.com/sfgZQVJh6s— Raider Rowdy 🇸🇻 (@RaiderRowd10) August 5, 2024
Two things can be true at once:
Jon Gruden is a bigoted racist who was dumb enough to talk mad shit with (another bigot) via company email and made HORRIFIC FA/draft choices
Josh McDaniels is in over his head and hasn’t learned a thing from his Denver debacle https://t.co/kIgPGMUuSp
— Ray K. Hessel (@RaymondKHessel4) October 25, 2023
Many Kansas City Chiefs fans do not have an issue with Jon Gruden’s past
The controversial past of Jon Gruden, which includes being a head coach for one of the Chiefs’ biggest rivals, does not stop a large portion of Chiefs fans from supporting his role on the team.
Many fans claim that Gruden was unfairly “canceled,” while other fans don’t care about his past and are simply happy to have a brilliant football mind on their side.
Jon Gruden was on the way to greatness for the #raiders after nearly sweeping the Chiefs in 2020. Then the NFL cancelled him (leaked emails) in 2021.
I will always believe this. Waller looked like Kelce, Ruggs looked like Hill.
The defense was getting better with DC Gus… pic.twitter.com/NIwti5O2tW
— wifiwillie (@realwifiwillie) September 26, 2023
Jon Gruden has been canceled for private comments he made years ago.
It also appears to be a coordinated and deliberate campaign to end his career.
Is this the society we want to live in? What happened to grace and forgiveness? pic.twitter.com/QOaU50omV4
— David Hookstead (@dhookstead) October 12, 2021
Reid and him are buddies from back in the Packers and Eagles days. Raiders fired him. What’s the big deal? And I’m a Raiders fan and can’t stand the Chiefs.
— Cory Radford (@CrownAndCigar) August 4, 2024
Would 100% take Gruden in an advisory role.
— Musky Meteorologist (@MuskyWeatherGuy) August 4, 2024
Hey I’d love him to join and give a veteran coach an opportunity to make us even better
— Brandon Sigourney Sr (@big_sigo) August 4, 2024
The Chiefs aren’t the only team Gruden has spent time with since being fired in 2021. He spent time helping the New Orleans Saints in 2023.
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