Jon Gruden is not exactly fading quietly into the background. Quite the opposite, in fact. While his lawsuit against the NFL remains active, the former coach is now reportedly slated to be on the call for an NFL preseason game next month — a small but significant reminder that he is still very much trying to keep a foothold in pro football.
That matters because Gruden has been talking for months like a man who expects another shot. Last July, he made his intentions plain enough: “Hopefully I’m not done. I’m about to make a comeback,” he said, along with other comments about wanting to coach again. He also said, “I’m going to coach again,” and even joked, “I don’t care if I coach at Jones Junior High.” This is not somebody auditioning for retirement. This is somebody still chasing his way back into the game.
The latest move, according to Ira Kaufman of JoeBucsFan, is a broadcasting role that would have Gruden on the call for a preseason game next month, with Kaufman saying he believes Gruden will be doing the play-by-play. On its own, that is a notable enough development. Put it next to the larger picture, though, and it starts to look like something more deliberate: another step back into the football spotlight while he continues to work toward a fuller return.
A return route that still looks unfinished
Gruden’s football future has not followed a normal script. In 2021, he parted ways with the Las Vegas Raiders during his third year of a 10-year contract after emails surfaced showing racist, sexist and homophobic language. Since then, he has been trying to rebuild his standing while also working with Barstool Sports and making it clear he still wants back on a sideline somewhere.
His comments have been unmistakable. “Hopefully, some of these guys that fell off my branch, if you say it that way, maybe they can hire me ’cause I’m looking for a job,” he said. He also added, “I’m still coaching,” before clarifying that he was not officially on a team, though he does private assignments and keeps engaged with the games.
Now comes the next chapter: a broadcast assignment that keeps him visible and relevant, even if it is not the sideline job he clearly wants. There is a logic to it. If Gruden is going to stay in the conversation, being on an NFL preseason call is a practical way to do it. It also keeps open the possibility that this is a stop on the way to something bigger, not the destination itself.
Of course, none of this changes the uncomfortable context. His case against the NFL was allowed to proceed in court instead of arbitration in August, when the Nevada Supreme Court ruled in his favour, and in October the court unanimously denied the league’s petition to reconsider that decision. So the legal fight remains part of the story, and it is impossible to separate the broadcast news from that backdrop.
That is what makes this such a curious moment. Gruden keeps talking like a coach who expects another break. The legal case keeps moving. And now the television booth may become another platform for a man who still seems convinced that the final football chapter has not been written yet.
Maybe the comeback is still a long way off. Maybe this is just a one-off assignment. But in Gruden’s world, even a preseason broadcast can feel like a statement: he is still here, still connected to the NFL, and still determined to make sure nobody treats his career as over.
