In another step toward an NFL comeback, former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden has signed a multi-year deal with Barstool Sports, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Thursday.
Jon Gruden Signs With Barstool Sports
Former Buccaneers and Raiders head coach Jon Gruden has signed a multi-year deal with Barstool Sports. pic.twitter.com/fxAlTcQl9R
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 14, 2024
Barstool announced the signing in a video with some of its signature employees, including Dave “El Presidente” Portnoy and Dan “Big Cat” Katz.
In the video, Gruden teaches several Barstool employees about his favorite play, Spider 2 Y Banana.
Gruden will likely be on several of Barstool’s football-centric shows, including the live streams during big games.
Over the past few months, Gruden has increased his online presence. Before the Barstool deal, Gruden started a YouTube channel to discuss weekly games and explain plays on the whiteboard. The channel currently has 192,000 subscribers.
Gruden, who won Super Bowl XXXVII as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, worked on ESPN’s Monday Night Football coverage from 2009-2017.
Gruden returned to coaching when he accepted a 10-year, $100 million contract to be the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.
In October 2021, Gruden resigned after controversial emails leaked, where he used racist and homophobic language.
Gruden filed a lawsuit against Roger Goodell and the NFL. The lawsuit is still ongoing.
Welcome to Barstool Sports, Jon Gruden @Barstool_Gruden pic.twitter.com/d7tUimhbLo
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) November 14, 2024
Jon Gruden’s Path Back To The NFL
"He's definitely coming back"
Boomer says he can confirm Jon Gruden's desire to be a head coach again, and that teams are starting to have interest: pic.twitter.com/sNtDXWXID5
— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) November 13, 2024
The Barstool signing is another step toward Gruden’s NFL return. At this point, it appears to be a matter of when, not if, Gruden returns to the NFL.
On WFAN’s Boomer & Gio, former NFL quarterback and media personality Boomer Esiason said Gruden “100 percent” wants to be back in the NFL.
“I’m telling you right now — a couple of calls last night — I can confirm that he definitely wants to get back in 100 percent,” Esiason said on Wednesday. “I can also confirm, and I believe this to be true. This, again, is my opinion after speaking to at least two different people that are involved in coaching searches and things of that nature, that there are teams that are interested in him. And if it’s not this year, it’s definitely next year. But he’s coming back. He’s definitely coming back.”
