Mutual Interest Between Saints, Jon Gruden
Dennis Allen is not likely to be fired by the Saints, but the franchise may have another former Raiders head coach in mind. Jon Gruden is being considered for a full-time position after serving as a Saints consultant for a period of time last year.
Gruden is interested in becoming an assistant coach with the Saints if he is not hired as head coach during this cycle, according to Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com. Gruden was previously the head coach of the Raiders and Buccaneers. The free agent coach was recently visited by the Saints, who also exhibit interest in him.
Prior to the Saints’ Week 17 match in Tampa, Duncan reports that Gruden, who is still suing the NFL, had a meeting with team executives and attended a team meeting. That weekend, Gruden—a Tampa native—had dinner with Mickey Loomis, the general manager of the Saints.
Gruden, 60, served as a consultant at the Saints minicamp and watched training camp without being paid.
“In Jon, we have a resource here that is football through and through,” Allen said in May. “And he’s had an opportunity to work with Derek Carr. “So what better [way to use that] resource than to just get some thoughts and ideas on how he worked with Derek and what he thought worked well with Derek?”
Given that Gruden sued the NFL more than two years ago over the circumstances that led to the disclosure of embarrassing emails and the Raiders’ subsequent insistence that he resign, a cooperation between the Saints and the NFL would be a significant move.
Although Brian Flores filed a discrimination case against the NFL and several teams, he has continued to be an active coach.
Gruden has not exactly gained favour with Roger Goodell and league executives as a result of that complaint.
Gruden’s case is scheduled for a hearing at the Nevada Supreme Court on Wednesday. He has no intention of settling the lawsuit.
Duncan notes that Gruden would not likely join the Saints to take Pete Carmichael’s job as offensive coordinator. Gruden, the play-caller for the
Saints and the NFL’s offensive coordinator with the longest tenure (15 years), is unlikely to return, but he is anticipated to join the team in a senior
assistant capacity. In 2015, Allen made his way back to New Orleans; however, in 2016, the former Raiders head coach took DC Rob Ryan’s place.
A report that surfaced last month linked Gruden to an incredible comeback to the Raiders, which might pave the road for his lawsuit to be dropped.
Since then, the Raiders have stopped communicating with their two-time head coach and have started requesting interviews. Not surprisingly,
Gruden has not been contacted by any teams with requests. It still seems doubtful that the former Super Bowl-winning leader will get another
chance to play for the Chiefs. Given Gruden’s advanced age, his teams’ track record following the Bucs’ Super Bowl XXXVII triumph, and the
circumstances surrounding his most recent Raiders exit, an assistant-level position seems like a far more sensible route back to the NFL.
In Gruden’s offence, Derek Carr advanced, and the Saints had already discussed concepts that are most effective for the passer with their
quarterback’s four-year Oakland-Las Vegas head coach. From 2019 till the end, Carr placed in the top 11 in QBR. Carr performed poorly under
Josh McDaniels, who fired him months later after concluding he was not a good match.
During his injury-plagued Saints start, Carr placed 17th in
the metric. Gruden last held an assistant position in the Eagles organization in the middle of the 1990s.
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