One former NFL quarterback may have some insight into Gruden’s thinking. Former Buccaneers quarterback and current NBC analyst Chris Simms explained what he assumed was Gruden’s reasoning on Wednesday, noting the coach “didn’t want to deal with the pressure of Tom Brady.”

“(Gruden) didn’t want to deal with the pressure of Tom Brady,” Simms said on NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk Live. “He wasn’t going to have excuses to get out of that one, in case things didn’t work. He couldn’t blame Tom Brady if the offense didn’t work. He would lose control a little bit, too, because Brady was going to be able to talk to (Raiders owner) Mark Davis. ‘I want this.’ That’s where I find it fascinating.“