Jon Gruden's 2018 comments about Raiders contract resurface amid resignation
Jon Gruden became the head coach of the Raiders in 2018
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jon Gruden’s comments about bringing the Las Vegas Raiders a Super Bowl upon signing his contract with the organization in 2018 resurfaced Monday night after he stepped down.
Raiders signed a 10-year, $100 million to become the Raiders’ head coach in 2018 after spending some time in the broadcast booth for ESPN.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jon Gruden, pictured in 2012, compiled a 38-26 record with the Raiders between 1998 and 2001. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar, File)
"If I can’t get it done, I’m not going to take their money," he told USA Today in July 2018.
"Who guarantees I’m going to live 10 years? So I don’t think about that. You start thinking about a 10-year contract – people don’t know how it’s structured and it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is, ‘Is Khalil Mack going to be here? Is Donald Penn going to be ready to play?’ I’ve got more important things to worry about than eight years of my contract."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden reacts during the second half of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)
In that time, Gruden traded Mack to the Chicago Bears, released Penn in 2019, acquired and then cut Antonio Brown and failed to make the playoffs in each of the three full seasons he was head coach. The Raiders have only been to the playoffs once since Gruden’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the organization in Super Bowl XXXVII. The Raiders had traded him away in the offseason prior.
On Monday, Gruden resigned after more damning emails were published by The New York Times. The emails contained homophobic and misogynistic remarks and contained vulgar criticism of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Jon Gruden, pictured here in 2001, led the Raiders to the NFL playoffs twice in his initial four-year tenure as the team's head coach. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)
Gruden made a short statement upon his resignation.
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"I have resigned as Head Coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. I love the Raiders and do not want to be a distraction. Thank you to all the players, coaches, staff, and fans of Raider Nation. I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone," he said.