Here’s what needs to happen before Jon Gruden returns to an NFL sideline

Jameis Winston isn’t the NFL’s only soundbite machine. Three years ago, Jon Gruden was a social-media dream. He also was a really good football coach who had the Raiders on an upward slope, following a last-place finish in 2018 with respective third- and second-place showings in 2019 and 2020.

The problem is that Gruden still is a really good football coach, as he showed this week in breaking down the pivotal adjustments that helped Justin Herbert, Ladd McConkey and the Chargers beat the Bengals in the final seconds on Monday night. And because he also has a name that carries cachet, he has the ability to help a team sell tickets – perhaps an organization such as Jacksonville that needs to fill its Stadium of the Future.

The reason all that is a problem is the electronic elephant in the board room. Gruden resigned in 2021 after the Wall Street Journal and New York Times reported he’d sent emails in 2011 using racist stereotypes. Gruden then filed a lawsuit against the NFL accusing the league of leaking the emails and substantially affecting his career, a legal process that has moved to the Nevada Supreme Court.

Game planning that elephant is critical. Here’s what needs to happen before any team interviews Gruden — something he obviously desires — in the next two months.

• The owners of any team interested in Gruden need to first informally meet with him. Those owners should ask direct questions and receive direct answers. And if those owners believe the apologies Gruden made in 2021 — contrition toward De Smith, his Raiders players at the time and the general public – were and still are genuine, they should move forward in the interview process. That first meeting is pivotal, though.
• Then, simultaneously when requesting an interview with Gruden, the team should be fully transparent in publicly communicating its desire to speak with him, along with other candidates X, Y and Z. Owners of that team should be in front of the backlash, communicating directly with fans why they believe Gruden has changed and is now a viable candidate. Other critical messaging is an authentic commitment to follow important league procedures.
• Owners should speak on camera, answering direct questions from media, about why Gruden is under consideration, stating that they met with him previously and deemed his apologies sincere, that he’s a changed man and they’re ready to consider him to serve as the face of their franchise.

The beauty of the NFL is that everyone loves a comeback story. It’s a place where prodigals can make serious mistakes, take time to realize they made serious mistakes, apologize with sincerity and humbly ask for a second chance.