Disgraced Former NFL Head Coach Jon Gruden Seen At Chiefs Practice In Full Team Garb

Getty Image / Ethan Miller

It really wasn’t that long ago in the scheme of things when Jon Gruden was considered a true NFL coaching wunderkind in the 1990s and early 2000’s. He paid that off when he won Super Bowl XXXVII with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a game that now happened 21 years ago.

But, his coaching career flamed out in spectacular fashion when offensive emails he had sent to former Washington Commanders President Bruce Allen were revealed as part of an NFL investigation into the Washington franchise under former owner Dan Snyder during the 2021 season.

Gruden has not had an on-field coaching role since, as those emails were pretty inflammatory. Gruden made racist, homophobic, and otherwise offensive comments in those emails, and teams quite frankly don’t want to deal the negative PR of a guy who wasn’t exactly lighting the world on fire in his second stint with the Raiders from 2018 until his dismissal in 2021.

But, Jon Gruden popped up at training camp in full Kansas City Chiefs garb in St. Joseph, Missouri on Sunday, raising eyebrows.

It makes some sense, as Andy Reid and Jon Gruden were both assistants on the legendary Packers coaching staffs of the mid 1990’s under Mike Holmgren. And, Gruden was quietly around the New Orleans Saints last year, too.

But, it’s hard to imagine the Chiefs, who clearly have things rolling as back-to-back Super Bowl champs and don’t really need a shake-up, would announce Gruden as an official member of the staff in any capacity. I can’t imagine Andy Reid would allow a PR firestorm like that for little additional benefit.

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs open up their preseason next Saturday against the Jaguars. If Jon Gruden is still around the team, we will know something is up.