Jon Gruden Finds New Home at Barstool Sports While Remaining Exiled from the NFL
We all remember that infamous moment in 2021 when Jon Gruden resigned from his head coaching role with the Las Vegas Raiders, following the release of some disturbing emails in an NFL investigation. Since that time, Gruden has been largely silent, staying under the radar and distancing himself from the league that he was once such a big part of. But now, it seems like Gruden is ready to step back into the spotlight, though it’s not in the way fans might have expected.
In an unexpected yet polarizing move, Gruden has just landed a new gig with Barstool Sports. This is a bit of a shift from his former high-profile positions with the NFL head coaching and broadcasting games on television — but it’s the latest step in what has been quite the rollercoaster ride since his departure from football.
Barstool Sports: The Perfect Fit for Gruden?
After years of being known as one of the NFL’s most eccentric and outspoken personalities, perhaps it’s no big surprise Gruden is lining up with a brand like Barstool Sports. The media platform, famous for its edgy, sometimes controversial approach to sports coverage and entertainment, seems a fitting destination for someone of Gruden’s outspoken nature.
Barstool has long danced on the line between sports entertainment, humor, and controversy, appealing to young fans who appreciate its “don’t care what you think” attitude. It makes sense that Gruden, who’s never shied away from pushing boundaries, would find a home there, at least for now.
Details surrounding Gruden’s exact role with Barstool Sports haven’t been fully clarified. However, his history as a coach and broadcaster suggests he’ll likely bring that fiery style to whatever content the pair produces — and chances are, it’ll have no shortage of opinions, humor, or hot takes on the current NFL happenings.
Gruden’s Rocky NFL Exit
To understand the significance of this new role, we need to revisit the events that led to Gruden’s NFL exit. A league investigation revealed emails dating back over a seven-year period in which Gruden used language that was homophobic, sexist, and racist. The emails were originally discovered during a workplace investigation relating to the Washington Commanders (formerly the Washington Football Team), but the fallout quickly extended to Gruden after the offensive content came to light.
The discovery of the emails brought intense scrutiny on Gruden, who was then forced to resign from his coaching job with the Raiders in October 2021. Before this, he had a well-established career, having won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003 and becoming a high-profile analyst for ESPN, famous for his work on Monday Night Football.
Since his resignation, Gruden has remained relatively quiet. Many speculated about if or when he would ever surface in the public eye again. Well, now we’re getting our answer — though it’s coming not through a return to coaching or broadcasting for major sports networks, but via a bold new venture with Barstool Sports.
From NFL to Barstool: What to Expect from Gruden?
With Gruden stepping outside the traditional sports world and joining Barstool, it leaves many questions in fans’ minds. How will his raw, unfiltered coaching style be translated into this new media role? Will he offer expert analysis on current players and game tactics, or will he focus more on entertainment and behind-the-scenes stories from his career?
Barstool is known for giving creative freedom to its talent, which means fans can expect Gruden to go full force with his personality, without the filters he may have had to use in previous roles with the NFL and ESPN. Whether you agree with Gruden’s past or not, there’s no denying that he brings a wealth of knowledge about the game and a fiery passion that can make for some pretty entertaining content.
A New Challenge for Gruden
It’s undeniable that transitioning from the sidelines of a football field to a media company like Barstool will present Gruden with a new set of challenges. First and foremost, there’s the task of keeping a loyal audience. While Gruden certainly comes with a well-established name, many NFL fans have grown cold towards the coach in the wake of his email scandal.
Then, there’s the fact that Gruden has always been a football coach at heart. His fiery attitude and intense dedication to strategy have been part of his DNA — will that translate seamlessly into creating fresh and entertaining content for a platform like Barstool? Coaching is very different from discussing and creating commentary on the game, and the transition may not come as easily as some expect.
Still, Gruden is no stranger to television content. His time as an ESPN commentator featured some memorable moments, and he was widely liked for his passionate (and sometimes over-the-top) delivery when breaking down game strategies. The Barstool audience is undoubtedly expecting a similar high-energy performance from him in whatever projects may be coming in the future.
Why Barstool Over Traditional Media?
There are a lot of traditional sports networks out there, and it’s interesting that Gruden didn’t make a return to familiar ground like ESPN or FOX Sports. In choosing Barstool, Gruden is clearly entering a different world — one that’s more about breaking boundaries, viral content, and unfiltered honesty.
- No stringent broadcast rules
- Freedom to share blunt and raw opinions
- Potentially less backlash than mainstream media
For someone who has had his name, image, and career dragged through the mud, the looser format of Barstool may be a relief compared to the intensive scrutiny he could have faced upon reentry into television. Fans of Barstool are generally more forgiving of controversial banter and personalities — and given Gruden’s past, this flexibility potentially makes Barstool the perfect rehab stint for his public persona.
The NFL’s Reaction
In light of this new position at Barstool, you have to wonder what the larger NFL community thinks. Given that Gruden’s emails were what ultimately forced him out, does the league have an opinion on this new media role? Is he truly exiled to media forever, or could this be the beginning of a potential “recovery tour” to regain his footing in football?
The league hasn’t made an official comment on Gruden’s new gig just yet. But some NFL insiders believe that Gruden’s involvement with Barstool could be seen as a soft re-entry into public life, allowing him to reconnect with fans in a way that still keeps him a bit distanced from directly involving himself in the NFL again (for now).
Can Gruden Make a Comeback to Football?
One of the questions on everyone’s minds is simple: does this spell the end of Jon Gruden’s time in the NFL, or is this just a speed bump in his journey back to the sidelines?
While Barstool may offer Gruden a new platform, there’s no denying that many still view him as a football coach first. The idea that Gruden will ever coach again isn’t totally off the table. The NFL in recent years has been a place of second chances for many individuals who have faced scandals — as long as they’ve shown remorse and growth from their past mistakes.
But Gruden’s return to the league would undoubtedly come with hurdles. He would need to sway public opinion back in his favor, and that can be a difficult task in today’s cancel-hungry culture. Additionally, the NFL itself would need to clear the way for him to re-enter under some acknowledgement of his past transgressions and progress forward.
That said, it’s possible to see Gruden’s work at Barstool as a way of rehabilitating his public image. Barstool gives him access to a public platform, without the intense pressures of NFL head coaching, allowing him to slowly reintegrate into the sports world. Whether this is his final stop or just one more chapter remains to be seen, but for now, it’s safe to say Gruden isn’t fading out of the spotlight anytime soon.
The Future Ahead for Jon Gruden
As Jon Gruden embarks on this surprising new chapter with Barstool Sports, one thing is for sure: it’s going to be unpredictable. For better or worse, his career has always been marked by the unexpected, and his surprise role at Barstool proves that he’s willing to adapt and take on this brand-new challenge head-on.
Gruden may never completely regain the prestige he once held within the NFL. But as this new partnership with Barstool plays out, fans (and critics alike) are eager to see what’s next. Will this prove to be his ticket back into football, or is it the beginning of a new direction for the coach turned media personality? Only time will tell, but no matter what, this won’t be the last we hear from Jon Gruden.
The Bottom Line
Barstool Sports and Jon Gruden coming together is the type of media announcement that sends shockwaves through the sports community. Gruden has spent years in the spotlight as a fiery, energetic NFL head coach, and now he finds himself venturing into uncharted media territory. Will this be his big rebound or will it turn into another chapter in his controversial career?
One thing is for sure — this partnership is bound to draw attention from fans who love Gruden’s passion and knowledge of the game, as well as those who remain skeptical of his very public missteps. As Gruden’s story continues to unfold, keep an eye on his future with Barstool, because knowing Gruden, it’s going to be a wild ride.
Key Takeaways:
- Jon Gruden is joining Barstool Sports after exiting the NFL following the email scandal in 2021.
- Gruden’s exact role at Barstool remains unclear, but he’s expected to bring his high-energy style to the platform.
- It’s uncertain whether this marks the end of Gruden’s NFL career, or if it serves as an opportunity for a rehabilitation of his public image.
- Barstool’s unfiltered nature makes it a surprising, yet potentially fitting, home for Gruden.
Buckle up, sports fans, because Jon Gruden is back in the limelight — and who knows what twists and turns his career has in store!
Originally Written by: Ryan Glasspiegel
