On Monday, reports started to circulate that Jon Gruden, the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, would resign. Tom Pelissero, a reporter for the NFL Network, shared that Gruden had told his staff Monday evening.
The move comes as Gruden has faced a lot of scrutiny for a 2011 email that resurfaced with an apparent racial slur. Gruden used to refer to people as having “rubber lips” when he believed them to be less than truthful. When Gruden was working for ESPN in 2011, he had sent an email to Washington Redskins President and GM Bruce Allen regarding a stance taken by NFLPA President DeMaurice Smith. Gruden had stated, “Dumboriss Smith has lips the size of michellin tires.” Gruden has since apologized and stated that his comments were related to how Smith handled negotiations for the players.
He stated that he was sorry, he did not “have a racial bone” in his body, and he does not believe that Smith is a “liar” or “dumb.” He reportedly also has spoken out directly against NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (Yahoo News).
Gruden rejoined the Raiders in 2018 after a stint on Monday Night Football. He had previously coached the team 1998-2001. Gruden had signed a 10 year contract at that time (FOX).
