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Jon Gruden desperately wants to coach again, but even he has a line he won’t cross.
Gruden, of course, parted ways with the Las Vegas Raiders during the third year of a 10-year contract after he was found to have used racist, sexist and homophobic language in emails.
He has since joined Barstool Sports and has shown great interest in returning to football in some capacity, but there is one team he does not want to be a part of.
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Head coach Jon Gruden of the Las Vegas Raiders walks onto the field before a game against the Chicago Bears at Allegiant Stadium on October 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Gruden was reportedly approached by the New York Jets about the idea of joining their staff, but he was not interested.
It is not known what Gruden’s role would have been, but he would have automatically been the most successful voice in the building. The Athletic was the first to report the news.
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, a die-hard New England Patriots fan, said on X that it was the “Top 1 Most Insulting Job Offer Ever.”
The Jets have turned over almost their entire coaching staff, except for the head coach. Aaron Glenn has parted ways with several assistants after just one year, including both his offensive and defensive coordinators.
Last season, in the midst of their 3-14 record, they became the first team in NFL history not to record an interception the entire season. They also lost each of their last five games by at least 23 points, another NFL first. It was the third time the Jets had ever lost at least 14 games, also doing so under Rich Kotite and Adam Gase.
New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn looks on prior to the game against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium on December 28, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Evan Bernstein/Getty Images)
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Tanner Engstrand and the Jets reportedly parted ways Tuesday after much talk about a change in his role. They were unable to agree on what his role should be, resulting in the split.
Three different quarterbacks started for the Jets, as Justin Fields was benched and Tyrod Taylor was injured in his absence, prompting Brady Cook to start at the end of the season.
At the trade deadline, the Jets traded Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams for draft capital. Those trades were with the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys, both of whom missed the playoffs. The picks they got from them (Colts’ 2026 first and Dallas’ 2026 second) aren’t half bad. Plus, the Jets now own the second pick in the draft.
Gruden sued the NFL after he left the Raiders, alleging a “malicious and orchestrated campaign” was used to destroy his career by leaking the emails. The leaked messages were from when he was an ESPN analyst and a “Monday Night Football” broadcaster.
Gruden was the recipient of a key ruling in his case against the league in August, when the Nevada Supreme Court ruled that his case could proceed in court instead of arbitration. In October, the Nevada Supreme Court unanimously denied the NFL’s petition to rehear that decision.
Gruden worked with Derek Carr after he joined the New Orleans Saints and visited the Detroit Lions. With Barstool, he met with up-and-coming pro quarterbacks at “Gruden’s QB Camp.”
Then-Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden during a joint practice against the Los Angeles Rams on August 18, 2021. (Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)
“Hopefully I’m not done. I’m making a comeback,” Gruden said of coaching in July. “Hopefully some of these guys who fell off my branch, if you put it that way, might hire me because I’m looking for a job.
“I don’t care if I’m coaching at Jones Junior High. I’m going to coach again. I’m still coaching. I’m just not on a team officially, but I’ve got some private jobs I’m working on and I’m wearing some gear when I’m watching the games that nobody knows who I’m rooting for.”
