Former Buccaneers Coach Jon Gruden Isn’t Done Yet

The former Bucs Super Bowl-winning head coach may not be finished just yet…

Dec 28, 2008; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden watches from the sidelines in the second half against the Oakland Raiders at Raymond James Stadium. The Raiders defeated the Buccaneers 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's been some time since former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden was directly involved with the NFL, be it coaching or coverage.

Gruden was the head coach of the Raiders for a second stint from 2018-21 before he stepped down from the position after emails he wrote from 2011-18 containing misogynistic, racist and homophobic language surfaced.

Since 2021, he's been in and out of consulting roles and, most recently, has joined Barstool Sports to work as a media personality covering the NFL. He's always been itching to get closer to the league once again in some capacity, though, and in a recent interview, he expressed interest in returning to one of his old jobs after leaving coaching the first time.

Jon Gruden Wants to Get Back Into Play-by-Play

Jon Gruden watches practice during training camp at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park on Monday, July 28, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Gruden recently sat down with JoeBucsFan's Ira Kaufman on the Ira Kaufman Podcast, and he expressed his interest in returning to play-by-play broadcasting.

“I was a broadcaster for nine years,” Gruden said, per JoeBucsFan. “I want to be play-by-play. You know, Frank Gifford, he transitioned into the play-by-play role. I would like to transition. I had nine years of watching these guys, [Mike] Tirico. And I’d like to give that a shot.”

Gruden was previously a play-by-play broadcaster for ESPN from 2009-17, where he served as a color analyst and also held his Jon Gruden's QB Camp television show.

Returning to coaching would be difficult for Gruden, as he has an ongoing lawsuit against the NFL relating to his email leaks in 2021. His trial against the NFL is set to begin in May 2027, so that would make a return to the NFL very difficult until that gets resolved.

He could, however, return as a play-by-play personality, either with ESPN or another network. Gruden's reputation has improved since joining Barstool Sports and he was recently reinstated into Tampa Bay's Ring of Honor, but any network would have to be comfortable hiring Gruden again given his past transgressions.

For now, though, Gruden remains with Barstool Sports, and he'll certainly be paying attention to his old team as the Bucs gear up for training camp on July 28.

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