Jon Gruden Rumors Suggest Former Coach Will Return To NFL In 2013
If fresh Jon Gruden rumors are to believed, the former Super Bowl-winning head coach and ESPN analyst will be making a return to the NFL in 2013.
Writing on his CBS Sports blog, Mike Freeman reports that Gruden is expected to interview for more than one opening in the NFL. Freeman hints that the Philadelphia Eagles and San Diego Chargers are the two teams with the strongest interest in tempting the 49-year-old back to coaching.
Though Gruden has publicly stated he is happy as an analyst on ESPN’s Monday Night Football, Freeman claims that several teams have “quietly contacted Gruden and/or his representatives to gauge Gruden’s interest. In response, Gruden and/or his representatives informed teams Gruden would speak to them once the regular season ended.”
With the regular season now complete, Freeman says he expects Gruden to talk to said teams as early as Monday. The reporter writes:
“[…] privately, the Gruden camp has acted differently, and let it be known the former coach is interested in returning to the NFL. This doesn’t mean he will return. This means he’s interested in doing so if the right job opens up.”
Gruden hasn’t coached in the NFL since he was fired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2009. Gruden’s time at Tampa was not without success: In 2003, he lead the Buccaneers to victory in the Super Bowl, defeating the Oakland Raiders (his former team) 48-21. At the time, the victory made Gruden the youngest head coach ever to win a Super Bowl.
In November 2012, Gruden was forced to deny speculation linking him to the head coach position at the Tennessee Vols:
Do you think the Jon Gruden rumors could be true? Is a return to the NFL imminent for the ESPN analyst?
