Sep 19, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden watches the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

Nevada high court to hear NFL’s appeal on Gruden lawsuit

The Nevada Supreme Court on Wednesday is hearing oral arguments on the NFL’s appeal of Jon Gruden’s lawsuit against the league.

The NFL is asking the court to reverse a lower court’s decision to allow Gruden’s lawsuit for negligence and intentional interference with contractual relations to proceed in the courts. The NFL instead wants Gruden’s complaint to be dealt with in arbitration, overseen by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who is named in the lawsuit.

Gruden filed the suit in November 2021. Wednesday’s hearing was postponed from November, when attorneys, citing a scheduling conflict, asked for the postponement.

Gruden is accusing the NFL of leaking emails he wrote to then-Washington Commanders president Bruce Allen from 2011-18 that were rife with racist and homophobic remarks and highly critical of Goodell. The leaked emails stoked public outrage against Gruden, eventually leading to his resignation as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders — an outcome he said the league manipulated.

Gruden in the suit accused the league of a “malicious and orchestrated campaign” to force his resignation.

The emails surfaced as part of the NFL’s investigation into workplace culture in Washington under its previous owner Daniel Snyder. The leaked emails, found amid 650,000 documents, became the only part of the league’s probe that went public, and Gruden is suing for damages and to find out the source of the leaks.

Gruden resigned with more than six seasons remaining on a 10-year, $100 million contract he signed with the Raiders.

Clark County (Nev.) District Court Judge Nancy Allf denied the NFL’s motion to compel arbitration in May 2022, a ruling the league is appealing to the high court on Wednesday.

–Field Level Media

Dec 24, 2022; Santa Clara, California, USA;  Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz (11) runs onto the field before the start of the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Carson Wentz works with Jon Gruden, eyes comeback

Carson Wentz has been throwing and studying with former NFL head coach Jon Gruden in Tampa, Fla., as the free agent quarterback eyes a return to the league, ESPN reported.

Wentz, 30, said he intends to play in 2023 and is waiting for the “right situation,” per the report.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Wentz was traded away by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021 and by the Indianapolis Colts in 2022 before being cut by the Washington Commanders on Feb. 27.

Wentz passed for 1,755 yards and 11 touchdowns against nine interceptions in just eight games (seven starts) in 2022. He started the first six games of the season and was placed on injured reserve after breaking his finger. He went 2-5 as the starter.

He has thrown for 22,129 yards and 151 TDs against 66 INTs in 93 career games (92 starts). He has a career record of 46-45-1 as a starting QB. He made the Pro Bowl in 2017 with the Eagles.

Gruden, 59, compiled a 117-112 record in 15 seasons as the head coach of the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders (1998-2001, 2018-21) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2002-08).

–Field Level Media

Mar 11, 2023; Metairie, LA, USA;   New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) speaks at Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Saints bring in Jon Gruden to work with Derek Carr, offense

As quarterback Derek Carr gets to work learning a new offense with the New Orleans Saints, he has had a bit of his old team — the Las Vegas Raiders — with him.

NOLA.com reported Friday that former Raiders coach Jon Gruden spent the week with the Saints, aiding Carr and the offensive coaching staff.

A second-round draft pick by the Raiders in 2014, Carr spent his career in the silver and black until his release following the 2022 season. He signed a four-year, $150 million contract with the Saints in March.

With the Raiders, Carr ran the West Coast offense installed by Gruden during the latter’s tenure as head coach from 2018 through the first five games of the 2021 season. The offense is similar to the one the Saints employ.

The Saints’ West Coast offense is an offshoot of the one former head coach Sean Payton used during his 15 seasons as head coach. And it had its roots with Gruden: Payton and Gruden coached together in 1997 with the Philadelphia Eagles, where Gruden was the offensive coordinator and Payton the quarterbacks coach.

And the Saints signed Carr because of his familiarity with the scheme.

“He’s a great fit for us,” Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael said of Carr, per NOLA.com. “We’ll cater to things that he likes as long as it fits with our personnel. The majority of what we’ve done (in New Orleans) he’s had some of that over his career. There’s a lot of similarities.”

To continue the migration from Las Vegas, the Saints also signed two former Raiders in free agency — wide receiver Bryan Edwards and tight end Foster Moreau.

–Field Level Media

Sep 19, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA;  Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden looks on from the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at Heinz Field. Las Vegas won 26-17.  Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Jon Gruden addresses controversial emails, hopes for ‘another shot’

Former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden spoke about the racist, anti-gay and misogynistic emails that he sent from 2010 to 2018 at a Little Rock (Ark.) Touchdown Club meeting on Tuesday, expressing remorse for his actions.

Gruden resigned from the Raiders after the emails were leaked last year, and he eventually sued the NFL claiming that it targeted him by releasing said emails.

But Tuesday was a different story, as Gruden asked for forgiveness and said that he hoped for a second chance.

“I’m ashamed about what has come about in these emails, and I’ll make no excuses for it. It’s shameful. But, I am a good person. I believe that,” Gruden said. “I’ve made some mistakes, but I don’t think anybody in here hasn’t. And I just ask for forgiveness, and hopefully I get another shot.”

Gruden, 59, landed his first head coaching job with the Raiders in 1998 and spent four seasons there before coaching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2002-08. The Bucs won the Super Bowl in his first season there.

He then stepped away from coaching and worked for ESPN as a color analyst before his second stint with the Raiders, which lasted from 2018-21.

Gruden owns a 117-112 regular-season record and has led his teams to a 5-4 mark in the postseason.

–Field Level Media

Sep 13, 2021; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden watches game action against the Baltimore Ravens during the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

NFL files to dismiss ‘baseless’ Jon Gruden lawsuit

Lawyers for the NFL filed a motion to dismiss Jon Gruden’s lawsuit against the league, calling the claims “baseless” in a Nevada court request.

Gruden resigned as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in October following backlash from racist and insensitive email messages. Gruden claims the messages that were all dated to previous years were leaked by the NFL as part of an “orchestrated” and “malicious” campaign.

Gruden filed in district court in Nevada’s Clark County in November.

The two-time Raiders coach had six seasons remaining on a 10-year contract worth $100 million.

Messages published by the Wall Street Journal and other outlets were captured by the NFL as part of an investigation into the culture of the Washington Football Team. Many of the messages reported to be from Gruden were sent to team president Bruce Allen, who also had roots with the Raiders and worked with Gruden in Oakland.

Following Gruden’s resignation, Raiders owner Mark Davis called for the NFL to release all details related to the WFT investigation. Commissioner Roger Goodell said the NFL had no plans to make the breadth of the findings or additional email messages public.

The New York Times published details of a series of messages from Gruden with misogynistic and anti-gay language.

The NFL’s position in the Nevada filing points to Gruden not denying the legitimacy of the messages or claiming that they were somehow altered or edited.

“Gruden does not, and cannot, dispute that he wrote the published emails. He does not, and cannot, dispute that he sent those emails to multiple parties,” the NFL filing states. “Nor does he claim that they were somehow altered or edited and that the repugnant views espoused in them were not in fact expressed by him. Instead, Gruden filed the instant complaint against the NFL and the commissioner, painting himself as the victim in a fictional story and seeking money through baseless claims against the NFL.”

Attorneys for Gruden are arguing “no explanation or justification for why Gruden’s emails were the only ones made public out of the 650,000 emails collected in the NFL’s investigation of the Washington Football Team or for why the emails were held for months before being released in the middle of the Raiders’ season.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 19, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA;  Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden looks on from the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at Heinz Field. Las Vegas won 26-17.  Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Ex-Raiders coach Jon Gruden sues NFL, contends emails ‘selectively leaked’

Former Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden is suing the National Football League and commissioner Roger Goodell, with his attorney contending emails that led to Gruden’s resignation were “selectively leaked” to “force him out of his job.”

Gruden resigned Oct. 11 after the emails revealed derogatory comments he made about Goodell, players union chief DeMaurice Smith and various team owners as well as statements categorized as racist, misogynistic and homophobic. The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal reported extensively about the content of the emails, which were uncovered as part of the league’s investigation into the operation of the Washington Football Team.

“There is no explanation or justification for why Gruden’s emails were the only ones made public out of the 650,000 emails collected in the NFL’s investigation of the Washington Football Team or why the emails were held for months before being released in the middle of the Raiders’ season,” said Adam Hosmer-Henner, who is representing Gruden, in a statement.

The NFL responded with a statement of its own.

“The allegations are entirely meritless and the NFL will vigorously defend against these claims,” the league said.

The emails were sent from 2011-18, when Gruden was the analyst on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.”

Gruden signed a 10-year, $100 million contract in 2018 to return to coaching. He had a 22-31 record over the past three-plus seasons in his second stint with the Raiders, including 3-2 this season. He coached the Raiders from 1998-2001, then moved on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2002-08. Overall, he has a 117-112 NFL coaching record and led Tampa Bay to its first Super Bowl win in 2002.

The Raiders are 2-1 under interim head coach Rich Bisaccia and have a 5-3 overall mark, tying them with the Los Angeles Raiders for the best record in the AFC West.

–Field Level Media

Oct 10, 2021; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis is pictured before the start of a game between the Raiders and the Chicago Bears at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Raiders owner Mark Davis favors release of WFT report

Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis told reporters Wednesday that he is in favor of the release of a written report pertaining to the findings of the Washington Football Team investigation.

“Probably. Yeah, I think that there should be,” Davis said, sitting in a high-backed chair, wearing a Raiders satin Starter jacket and a backpack. He made the comments at the NFL league meetings.

It was the leak of a select few of 650,000 emails the league reviewed as part of the investigation into potential workplace misconduct in the Washington organization that led to the resignation of Raiders coach Jon Gruden on Oct. 11. Some of the comments in Gruden’s emails were characterized as homophobic, misogynistic and racist.

Commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday that the league will not release a report into the investigation, citing the request for anonymity made by some of those who were interviewed by investigators.

“We’re very conscious of making sure we’re protecting those who came forward,” Goodell said. “They were incredibly brave, incredibly open, and we respect the pain that they probably went through all over again to come forward. That was a very high priority.”

Davis is the first owner to call for the release of investigative materials, breaking rank with his peers, apparently. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said earlier Wednesday that owners were “very satisfied with the NFL holding Dan Snyder accountable.”

Snyder, who owns the Washington Football Team, was replaced as head of the team’s day-to-day operations as a result of the report, with his wife, Tanya, taking over for the immediate future. The team also received a $10 million fine based on the investigation’s findings.

Davis also said he was upset by the timing of the release of the Gruden emails — sent well before he coached the Raiders — because the league had the emails before the season started. Had Davis been informed earlier, he could have made a coaching change, had he desired to, before the start of training camp.

Asked if the team had been treated unfairly by the NFL, Davis had this to say:

“We’re Raiders. We’re used to this.”

The Raiders are 2-0 under interim coach Rich Bisaccia. At 5-2, they are in first place in the AFC West.

–Field Level Media

Sep 13, 2021; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden watches game action against the Baltimore Ravens during the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Raiders owner on Gruden emails: “We don’t stand for it”

Four days after offering a snarky “no comment” in response to the Jon Gruden email scandal, Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis changed his tune on Sunday.

“Listen,” Davis said outside the Raiders’ locker room, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “The Raiders stand for diversity, inclusion and social justice. We always have and we always will. The emails that came out are not what we stand for. So, Jon Gruden is no longer head coach of the Raiders.

“There’s not much more I can say. All the talking heads are making up all sorts of stuff. That’s all it is. We don’t stand for it.”

Gruden resigned Monday after leaked emails revealed that he had made derogatory, misogynistic and homophobic comments before becoming Raiders head coach.

Asked about Gruden’s resignation on Wednesday, Davis said “I have no comment. Ask the NFL. They have all the answers.”

The Raiders improved to 4-2 on Sunday by defeating the Broncos 34-24 in Denver in their first game under interim head coach Rich Bisaccia.

“It was one of the best games I have seen us play in a long time,” Davis said. “I thought it was fantastic. All three phases of the game. My emotions are that I’m excited that we looked good and are moving towards the future.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 19, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA;  Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden looks on from the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at Heinz Field. Las Vegas won 26-17.  Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Raiders, Jon Gruden expected to reach contract settlement

The Las Vegas Raiders and former head coach Jon Gruden are expected to work out a financial settlement following his resignation last week, NFL Network reported.

Gruden signed a 10-year, $100 million contract in 2018 to return to coaching. He had been ESPN’s analyst on “Monday Night Football.”

He resigned Monday after leaked emails revealed derogatory comments he made about commissioner Roger Goodell, players union chief DeMaurice Smith and various team owners as well as statements categorized as misogynistic and homophobic.

Per the NFL Network report, Gruden, 58, has about $40 million unpaid on his deal.

Gruden had a 22-31 record over the past three-plus seasons in his second stint with the Raiders, including 3-2 this season. He coached the Raiders from 1998-2001, then moved on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2002-08. Overall, he has a 117-112 NFL coaching record and led Tampa Bay to its first Super Bowl win in 2002.

–Field Level Media

Sep 26, 2021; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib (94) wears airpods before the game against the Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Raiders DE Carl Nassib back at practice after personal day

After being granted a personal day Wednesday and missing practice in the wake of the Jon Gruden controversy, which included past emails that revealed several anti-gay slurs, Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib returned and was a full participant at team workouts Thursday.

Nassib, who became the first openly gay active NFL player when he made the announcement in June, was given the day off Wednesday, with Raiders general manager Mike Mayock telling reporters that Nassib “said he’s got a lot to process” amid the scandal that led to Gruden’s resignation Monday.

Among the email messages the Wall Street Journal and New York Times published over the past week was a reference to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell that included an anti-gay slur. Gruden used a different slur while writing about Michael Sam, the first openly gay player drafted by an NFL team. Sam was selected by the then-St. Louis Rams in the seventh round in 2014 but never played a regular-season game in the league.

“He’s pretty much a lone wolf when it comes to that,” Raiders tight end Darren Waller said of Nassib Wednesday. “Nobody should be able to tell him how to feel. Nobody should be able to tell him how to grieve. He deserves to take time for himself because that’s a lot to process.”

Among other Raiders Thursday, running back Josh Jacobs did not practice because of an undisclosed illness. Defensive tackles Johnathan Hankins (hip) and Quinton Jefferson (back) also spent the day on the sidelines. Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue (rest, knee) and safety Johnathan Abram (shoulder, calf) were among those who practiced on a limited basis.

The 3-2 Raiders visit the 3-2 Denver Broncos on Sunday, with both teams entering on two-game losing streaks.

–Field Level Media