Aaron Rodgers has a big problem with the actions of Jon Gruden. The Green Bay Packers quarterback appeared on the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday to talk about Gruden resigning as Las Vegas Raiders head coach after he reportedly sent emails that included racist, misogynistic and anti-gay language to multiple people. Rodgers said Gruden’s mindset is not common in the NFL.
“I know that there’s opinions similar to that, but I feel they’re few and far between,” Rodgers said, per USA Today. “The player and the coach of today is a more empathetic, advanced, progressive, loving, connected type of person. I’m proud of the kind of locker room we have. We need to allow people to grow and change, but those opinions don’t have a place in the game.”
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Rodgers hopes what happened to Gruden will lead to better conversations about social equality. “It was surprising to see that the thing went so quickly, but I think that was probably the best decision for all parties involved,” Rodgers said. “Hopefully we can all as a league learn and grow from this. Hopefully, it puts people on notice who have some of those same opinions. Like, ‘Hey man, it’s time to grow and evolve and change and connect. That s— doesn’t fly.’”
Gruden resigned on Monday night following stories from The Wall Street Journal and New York Times that exposed Gruden’s use of offensive language in emails that dated back to 2010. On Tuesday, the Buccaneers announced they are removing Gruden from the team’s Ring of Honor. Gruden was the Buccaneers’ head coach from 2002-2008 and won a Super Bowl with the team in his first season.
“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have advocated for purposeful change in the areas of race relations, gender equality, diversity and inclusion for many years,” the team statement read. “While we acknowledge Jon Gruden’s contributions on the field, his actions go against our core values as an organization. Therefore, he will no longer continue to be a member of the Buccaneers Ring of Honor.” Gruden was hired by the Raiders in 2018, signing a 10-year deal worth $100 million. It was his second stint with the Raiders as he was first hired by the team in 1998.
