Currently, the NFL is engaged in separate lawsuits involving two former head coaches. But when it comes to the cases involving Jon Gruden and Brian Flores, Stephen A. Smith believes that both plaintiffs will ultimately find themselves as NFL head coaches once again.
On Friday’s episode of First Take, Smith discussed the latest developments in Flores’ racial discrimination lawsuit against the league and three of its teams. And when asked whether he believes the current Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator is now more or less likely to become an NFL head coach again, the ESPN star took his prediction a step further than the prompt Monica McNutt had posed.
“This is just my belief, that’s all it is. I believe that both Jon Gruden and Brian Flores will find themselves back in the NFL as head coaches,” Smith said. “I know Brian Flores is still here, but I’m saying — because here’s my point. If you’re smart, that’s exactly what will happen. That’s exactly what would happen.
“It’s not to say that Jon Gruden is innocent and you’re going to forget what those emails revealed. But the bottom line is that you’ve let people back in the league for doing worse. And it shouldn’t be a death sentence. So you got that going on. And in the case of Brian Flores, there is no excuse why this man is not a head coach in the NFL right now.”
The idea of Flores becoming an NFL head coach at some point in the near future certainly isn’t far-fetched. Not only has the former Miami Dolphins head coach reestablished himself as one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL in Minnesota, but to Smith’s point, his hiring by another team would only seemingly strengthen the league’s legal stance.
As for Gruden, that might be a tougher sell considering the racist and homophobic nature of the leaked emails that led to his departure from the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021. Still, the former Super Bowl champion head coach has rehabbed his public image as a part of Barstool Sports — although it appears he’d prefer to parlay that into a job in the college ranks.
Ultimately, Flores seems more likely than Gruden to land an NFL head coaching job, but either or both doing so would hardly be shocking. And if that comes fruition, it would certainly be interesting to see how such developments would affect their ongoing lawsuits against the league.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.