“Congratulations on a great career. You showcased incredible mental toughness and preparation for over a decade. I love you and enjoyed our time. Keep shredding!” Gruden wrote on X.The message wasn’t surprising, but it did spark mixed reactions among fans.

Responding to Gruden’s message, a fan argued the Raiders “failed to put a team around” Derek Carr, suggesting the quarterback was a “top 10 QB for a while” whose impact was limited by “dysfunction.”

How long were Gruden and Carr together in the NFL?

Gruden and Carr worked together from 2018 to 2021 during Gruden’s second stint as head coach of the Raiders. The team never reached the playoffs under Gruden, who resigned after a 3-2 start in 2021. Interim coach Rich Bisaccia would eventually guide Carr and the Raiders to the postseason that year.

Despite never posting a winning season together, the best campaign Carr and Gruden managed was an 8-8 finish in 2020 — a year that offered glimpses of potential despite internal inconsistency. Carr retires from the NFL with a 77–92 career record.

Carr’s legacy: steady production, even without a title

While Carr never won a Super Bowl, his numbers tell the story of a steady, productive quarterback. Over 169 starts between 2014 and 2024, Carr threw for 257 touchdowns, 41,245 yards, and only 112 interceptions — a strong résumé despite the lack of postseason success.

Jon Gruden is an experienced NFL coach who had the honor of lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy back in early 2003, when his team won Super Bowl XXXVII by defeating the Oakland Raiders. The successful former head coach, a passionate advocate for Lamar Jackson and his current performance, left no doubt about who should be the next MVP of the league.

“Lamar Jackson is putting together his best body of work that I have seen. It’s really incredible, his statistics, based on any NFL standard that you look at. … Good God. How he is not the MVP? … Lamar has played superb football,“ Gruden stated in a video posted on X.

Although there are still a few weeks left in the regular season, it’s clear that the Ravens‘ quarterback is one of the serious contenders for the MVP award given his current performance. His strongest rival: Josh Allen, the leader of the Buffalo Bills.

With 15 weeks played, Baltimore holds the second spot in the AFC North with nine wins and five losses. The current division leaders are none other than Mike Tomlin’s Pittsburgh Steelers, who lead their rivals with a record of ten wins and four losses.

Gruden’s extensive career as a head coach

When compiling a list of the most historic coaches in NFL history, Jon Gruden’s name is undoubtedly a must. From his beginnings in 1986 as a graduate assistant with the Tennessee Volunteers to his most recent stint as head coach with the Raiders in 2021, Gruden has been a part of numerous teams.

Without a doubt, the peak of his career came at the end of 2003 when he led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl victory, famously defeating the Raiders, who were still based in Oakland at the time, not Las Vegas.

In the NFL, he has held various positions with several franchises, including the San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders, and the previously mentioned Buccaneers.

Currently, Gruden is serving as an advisor for the Milano Seamen, an American football team based in Milan, Italy, that competes in the European League of Football.

The Ravens are looking to claim the division

With only a few weeks left in the NFL regular season, the Baltimore Ravens will do everything they can to secure the top spot in the AFC North, currently held by Russell Wilson’s Steelers.

Next Saturday, December 21, both teams will face off in a game that could be pivotal for the playoff hopes of both franchises.

In their penultimate appearance, John Harbaugh‘s team will face the Houston Texans on December 25, while the regular-season finale will be against the Browns on January 5, 2025.

Despite the Raiders’ 19-17 loss to Kansas City Chiefs, Crosby stood out with a dominant performance, recording four quarterback hits on Patrick Mahomes and three solo tackles.

Gruden highlighted Crosby’s impact on X (formerly Twitter), writing:
“What other pass rushers play 100% of the plays in a game? Maxx Crosby’s all-out effort, production, and stamina are incredible. I hope every young pass rusher pays close attention to it!”

Crosby has played 100% of the defensive snaps in multiple games this season, a testament to his endurance. Despite the Raiders’ poor 2024 record, Crosby has been a defensive standout, notably in their only win against the Ravens, where he logged 65 defensive snaps.

What Is Jon Gruden Doing Now?

Although no longer coaching, Gruden remains active in the football world, partnering with various brands as an analyst. He shares content on YouTube and other platforms, breaking down key games each week, earning a solid following from fans who appreciate his insights.

The Raiders’ Struggling Season

Following their loss to the Chiefs, the Raiders now sit at 2-10, extending their losing streak to eight games. Their only wins this season came against the Ravens in Week 2 and the Browns in Week 4. They are officially the first AFC team eliminated from playoff contention.

Gruden, who is no longer active in the NFL, now runs a YouTube channel where he offers detailed analysis of the 2024 season’s games and conducts interviews with players like Derek Carr. The game between the Dolphins and Bills will be his second TNF analysis of the current season.

In his analysis, Gruden shares his extensive football knowledge, focusing on the defensive lines of both teams. He appears visibly enthusiastic on camera, especially when discussing the Buffalo Bills‘ defense and the challenges they will face against Miami’s speedsters.

Gruden praised Sean McDermott’s tenure as a defensive head coach, saying, “He’s outstanding. He has done an excellent job over the years surrounding himself with football junkies, physical guys that are tacklers in space.”

On the Miami Dolphins’ Offensive Line

According to Jon Gruden, the Miami Dolphins’ offensive line is a stark contrast to the Buffalo Bills’ defensive line, likening them to night and day. It’s worth noting that in their Week 1 opener, the Dolphins won but allowed just 17 points at home against the Jaguars.

“These are the rough and rugged blue-collar Buffalo Bills, and these are the sleek, fast Maserati-driving Dolphins. They are fast, man, and they use this speed horizontally across the field on these jet sweeps, quick screens, and then they’ll throw it over you vertically because they have Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill, the guys that do it.”

Gruden’s Take on Josh Allen

Regarding the Buffalo Bills’ offensive line, Gruden emphasized that the team revolves around Josh Allen, whom he described as a great quarterback. “His production is incredible: last year he had 29 passing touchdowns and 15 rushing touchdowns. He does an unbelievable job in short-yardage situations.”

According to Gruden, Josh Allen will be unstoppable for the Dolphins. He expects Allen to run extensively and be difficult to contain, especially in the red zone, where he might resort to running the ball into the end zone if he exhausts his passing options.

Jon Gruden’s Pick for the TNF Game

At the end of his extensive 17-minute analysis, which covered all aspects of both offense and defense, the former head coach had to make a pick. Despite Miami’s formidable gameplay, Gruden chose the Buffalo Bills.

“But at the end of the day, I’ve got to pick somebody. So when I was playing the Bills years ago, I learned this song… Hey-ey-ey-ey… Let’s go Buffalo.”

There are some head coaches in the NFL that are future Hall of Famers. They usually have good contracts considering how important they are for their teams, but the duration of each deal is similar. That’s not what happened with Jon Gruden a few years ago.

Gruden decided to leave his job on television to coach the then Oakland Raiders. In 2018 he didn’t get a normal offer. The Raiders gave him a 10-year contract worth 100 million dollars with the expectations being going back to the Super Bowl.

However, things never clicked on the field. Moreover, Gruden had to step down as head coach for some issues off the field after emails sent by him including unfortunate words were leaked. This happened in October of 2021, although now he briefly returned to the league as an advisor.

Jon Gruden spends time with NFC team

After his infamous exit from the Las Vegas Raiders, he hasn’t returned to the league. However, there is no doubt that his experience could still be valuable for a lot of franchises. In this case, it was a team that has a new veteran quarterback.

Gruden spent time with the New Orleans Saints to help Derek Carr. He reportedly visited the facilities in the last couple of days to assist his former quarterback with the transition to a new offense, according to Jeff Duncan of Nola.com.

The head coach has a past in common with Sean Payton when they were both part of the staff in the Philadelphia Eagles back in 1997. The Saints haven’t changed their philosophy in Payton’s absence, so it makes sense to have Gruden adding extra help especially because he also knows Carr very well.

Gruden was let go after leaked emails showed him repeatedly using homophobic, sexist, and racist slurs. Not even his friendship with Mark Davis was enough to justify keeping him around, so the team’s hands were pretty much tied.

Unsurprisingly, he refused to go down quietly. Gruden threatened to pursue legal action against the National Football Leagueand its Commissioner before vanishing into oblivion. So, now that 11 months have gone by, Gruden has decided to emerge back from the shadows and stir the pot.

NFL News: Jon Gruden Claims He’s Not A Bad Person, Hopes To Get Another Chance

“I’m not going to say anything but honest things here,” Gruden said on Little Rock Touchdown Club. “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. I go to church. I’ve been married for 31 years. I’ve got three great boys. I still love football. 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.”

So, yeah. The guy who’s a proven racist, sexist, and homophobic person claims he’s a good person because he goes to church. What a shocker. But no, Jon, you don’t get to play that card. You’re clearly not a good person.

And even if he were, why on Earth would another team bring him back to relevance and give him another shot? It’s not like there aren’t dozens of capable and deserving coaches and assistants out there.

You’re done, Jon. Go enjoy retirement.

Gruden made his fair share of controversial moves as soon as he got in charge of the team. Trading away Amari Cooper and Khalil Mack were just two of them, but cutting Marquette King also drew criticism at the time.

King’s larger-than-life persona and antics sure drew some Raiders fans nuts. But he was still one of the best punters in the league. Now, he claims he didn’t even get the chance to meet Gruden or his staff before finding out about his decision.

NFL News: Marquette King Opens Up On Being Cut By The Raiders

“As soon as I showed up, (then GM) Reggie (McKenzie)was telling me that Gruden doesn’t want me there,” King said, per ProFootballTalk. “We’re about to let you go, we’re gonna put you on the wire, and it’s gonna hit the news soon.”

“I never met the guy before,” King added. “I never talked to him. I never got a chance to meet any of them. I never got a chance to talk to any of them. It was just the weirdest thing ever. It actually kind of hurt. It felt like a loss.”

King Says Gruden Let Him Go Because Of Hate

King had a brief tenure with the Denver Broncos after his days with the Raiders, yet he could never re-establish himself in the league. Looking back, he claims that Gruden’s decision to cut him wasn’t football-related:

“Raiders felt like home. That was home. Staying in the bay was home. Wearing those colors, I couldn’t see myself wearing any other colors,” the punteradded. “I honestly should’ve took a year off. I was just so scarred from that, man.”

“Feeling like somebody just has a motive behind just letting you go. I honestly don’t understand. I think it was hate,” King said. “That’s what I feel like. That’s the only way you can be like that towards somebody if you never met them. I don’t know, some people just got hate in their heart.”

Well, while King’s personality was volatile, and he did pick up way-too-many flags for a punter, this wouldn’t be a shock coming from a guy like Jon Gruden.

However, it seems like we’re watching the good-old Raiders once again, as their heartbreaking 30-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers pretty much doomed their chances of making the playoffs for the second time in the past 18 seasons.

As a matter of fact, it seems like everybodyis so used to the Raiders being the Raiders, that even their head coach Jon Gruden seemed to forget that they had moved from Oakland to Nevada, as he wore an Oakland Raiders hat for Thursday Night Football.

Jon Gruden Says Someone Pranked Him And Gave Him The Wrong Hat

Gruden was all over the internet as soon as someone realized that he was wearing an old hat. Needless to say, that could be a marketing and PR disaster for a team trying to embrace a rebrand and a new location.

So, when asked about why he decided to wear an old hat from the team’s days at Oakland, the coach simply acknowledged that he had been tricked: “I apologize for not having the right hat on. Somebody played a pretty good trick on me,” he said.

Sadly, this is nothing but this is just classic Gruden. I mean, coaching is all about the little details, and you have to be in control of everything that happens if you want to lead a franchise to the top.

At the end of the day, the Raiders will once again miss the playoffs and that’s all that matters, and one wonders whether Gruden is actually the right guy to try and lift this once-great team back to the top of the NFL.