There are some rivalries in the NFL that run so deep that it feels odd to see the key figures on either side of the rivalry interacting in a manner that is even remotely positive or friendly. It doesn't always work like this, in large part because fans oftentimes care far more about these things than the guys involved do. Even still, as a Chicago Bears fan, I don't want to hear that any Monsters of the Midway are laughing it up and being buddy-buddy with any damn Cheeseheads. It's wrong. And I'm sure that's how many Kansas City Chiefs fans feel about anyone with ties to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Well, Chiefs fans, avert your eyes, because you're about to see a video that might make your stomach turn… former Raiders coach Jon Gruden, on the practice field at Missouri Western State University, fully decked out in Kansas City Chiefs gear, sharing a fist bump with head coach Andy Reid.
Now sure, this would be much harder to stomach if Jon Gruden rolled into Chiefs training camp donning his old Silver and Black threads. A fight might've broken out if that were the case. But either way, Gruden's presence at Chiefs camp raises an important and rather straightforward question: why is he there in the first place? Well, the simplest answer probably goes something like this… before either had landed their first head coaching job, Andy Reid and Jon Gruden worked together on Mike Holmgren's Green Bay Packers staff for three years from 1992 through 1994.
“We had a blast with that stuff,” Reid said back in 2018, speaking of his time coaching with Gruden in Green Bay (h/t Eddie Paskal of Raiders.com). “Who could find what or design what. We had a blast with that. He [Gruden] is a creative mind, so you got to stay on you're A-game when you are hanging with him.”
Gruden offered just as much love back to Reid.
“Yeah, we have a lot of memories,” Gruden added. “He's a great friend of mine. Passionate coach. He loves football. He might be one of the few guys I know that likes football more than me. That's why I treasure him.”
So sure, given Andy Reid and Jon Gruden's pre-existing relationship, maybe Chiefs fans will be willing to let this slide. The more pressing issue here may actually be Gruden's contentious relationship with the NFL.
Jon Gruden visits Chiefs training camp shortly after NFL lawsuit is thrown out
Back in 2021, it discovered that between 2011 and 2018, Jon Gruden had used racist, misogynistic and homophobic slurs in a series of emails with former Washington general manager Bruce Allen. This discovery was made during an investigation of alleged workplace misconduct within the Commanders franchise. Gruden resigned from his post as the head coach of the Raiders in October 2021, shortly after his emails were released to the public. He subsequently sued Roger Goodell and the National Football League, but in May of this year, the suit was thrown out by the Nevada Supreme Court.
The scandal, which cost Jon Gruden his job and his spot within the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Ring of Honor, has not kept the controversial head coach out of the NFL entirely. Gruden worked as a consultant with the New Orleans Saints last year, reuniting with former Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. There's no word on what Jon Gruden will be doing this season, though he was signed to serve as an advisor for the Milano Seamen of the European Football League. The Seamen are currently 3-6.
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