Buccaneers Reinstating Jon Gruden Into Ring of Honor Following Controversy Removal

Former NFL head coach and analyst Jon Gruden is officially being readded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Ring of Honor following his removal in 2021 due to a huge controversy via leaked emails he shared with then-Washington Commanders CEO Bruce Allen.

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The emails showcased Gruden using racist, misogynistic, and homophobic slurs, resulting in him being ostracized from the NFL completely. He resigned as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021, and all but disappeared from football.

The result of the controversy caused by the emails being leaked led to the Buccaneers removing Gruden from their Ring of Honor, where he had been inducted during the 2017 season. Now, Gruden has been given back his honor, and the team has released a statement on the massive change.

"Jon Gruden was initially inducted into the Buccaneers Ring of Honor based on his many accomplishments during his seven seasons as our head coach and remains a significant figure in the history of our franchise. Upon further reflection, we have decided to reinstate him into the Buccaneers Ring of Honor," the statement reads.

Gruden has yet to make it back to coaching in the NFL, though he was being mentioned alongside the Raiders in the latest hiring cycle. The former head coach still has an unsettled lawsuit against the NFL and Roger Goodell.

AP reported on the latest with the lawsuit back in Oct. 2024, stating:

"Gruden's lawsuit alleges that Goodell and the league pressured the Raiders to fire Gruden by leaking emails containing racist, sexist, and homophobic comments that Gruden sent when he was an on-air analyst at ESPN, about Goodell and others in the NFL. Gruden resigned from the Raiders in November 2021."

Though the lawsuit has yet to be settled, Gruden was attempting an NFL return.

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Following his exit from the Raiders, Gruden joined the New Orleans Saints as a consultant in 2023. He also appeared at training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2024 offseason but was not hired.

Gruden would end up taking a job with the Milano Seamen as a consultant as well.

Gruden being reinducted into the Buccaneers' Ring of Honor might go a long way toward him potentially landing another coaching job in the NFL sooner rather than later. As stated, he was part of rumors for several teams during the last head coaching cycle.

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