Super Bowl champion head coach and longtime ESPN NFL analyst Jon Gruden is back like he never left.
Gruden resigned from the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 over leaked emails featuring insensitive language and finally re-emerged this fall with a new YouTube channel called “Jon Gruden Loves Football,” where he analyzes NFL tape with guests like Mel Kiper and Drew Brees.
As part of his promotional tour for the new channel, Gruden appeared on The Dan Patrick Show on Monday. There, he sidestepped questions about the continuing legal fallout from his leaked emails and resignation from the Raiders.
Asked about the status of his lawsuit against the league, Gruden told Patrick, “I don’t know. I’m not here to talk about my lawsuit; that’s in other people’s hands right now. I’m just trying to spread my love for football, Dan.”
When Patrick explained to Gruden that he had to ask these questions, given Gruden’s high profile and the fact that he was back in the public spotlight, Gruden again deferred.
“It’s in due process. It’s not in my hands. So I can sit here and answer any questions, but I don’t have anything to answer,” Gruden said. “I don’t know where it is. It’s in the court’s hands. So I’m just here to study football and tell you what I see. That’s the best I can do right now.”
According to ESPN, Gruden is “seeking monetary damages” over his departure from the NFL.
He alleges that his emails were selectively leaked in an investigation into Washington executive Bruce Allen. The Nevada court system has held up his case over disagreements among judges over whether it can be heard in the state or must go to arbitration overseen by the NFL.
As for who may have done the leaking, Gruden refused to engage.
“I’m not going to get into all that. I really don’t even want to talk about it,” Gruden told Patrick. “I have a great opportunity to do some of the things I want to do right now, and that’s what I’m gonna do.”
While Gruden is ready to return to the big leagues of media and coaching, don’t expect him to answer for his comments in the emails or his legal action against the NFL any time soon.
[The Dan Patrick Show on YouTube]
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.