Jon Gruden just earned a couple of legal wins at a Nevada court this week. As mentioned by CBS Sports, Judge Nancy Allf denied the NFL’s motions to dismiss Gruden’s lawsuit against the league and to force the issues into arbitration. Front Office Sports was the first to report the news. Gruden, who was previously the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, alleges the NFL and league commissioner Rodger Goodell created “a malicious and orchestrated campaign” to leak inappropriate emails sent by him in an eight-year span.
“We believe Coach Gruden’s claims should have been compelled to arbitration, and we will file an appeal of the Court’s determination,” the NFL told Front Office Sports in a statement. “The Court’s denial of our motion to dismiss is not a determination on the merits of Coach Gruden’s lawsuit, which, as we have said from the outset, lacks a basis in law and fact and proceeds from a false premise — neither the NFL nor the Commissioner leaked Coach Gruden’s offensive emails.”
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The media leaked several emails that were sent by Gruden between 2010 and 2018, leading to him resigning his position with the Raiders. The NFL was investigating the Washington Football Team (now Washington Commanders) at the time when the emails were discovered. One of the emails reportedly included a racial trope aimed toward NFLPA executive DeMaurice Smith in 2011.
“We are going to let the process take care of itself,” Gruden said outside the courtroom. “Good luck to the Raiders. Go Raiders. I don’t have anything [else] to comment on. This process will take care of itself. It’s good to be back in Vegas. I am going to see friends tonight.” With the judge denying the NFL’s motion, this means the case will remain in court, and a trial could lead to who was responsible for the leak.
Gruden, 58, was the head coach of the Raiders from 2018 to 2021. But that wasn’t his first stint with the team as he was also head coach of the Raiders from 1998 to 2001. In 2002, Gruden became the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers via a blockbuster trade. He led the team to a Super Bowl title in his rookie season, and it was the team’s first championship in franchise history. In his career, Gruden has posted a 117-112 record and a 5-4 record in the postseason.
