Jon Gruden has denied reports that the New York Jets ‘reached out’ to him about joining Aaron Glenn’s staff ahead of the 2026 NFL season.
The Barstool Sports personality and former NFL coach addressed the rumors when asked about them by Tom Krasniqi in an appearance on 95.3 WDAE radio in the Tampa Bay area.
‘There’s a lot of stupid rumors out there. Some of these reports are ridiculous,’ Gruden said. ‘Let’s just say there was never anything from the Jets and I wish them well in their search for a new offensive coordinator.’
Gruden’s comments came after rumors circulated Jan. 28 tying him to the Jets. The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt reported the Jets had reached out to the 62-year-old coach about ‘the idea of joining Aaron Glenn’s staff,’ but that Gruden ‘wasn’t interested’ in the role.
No additional information was provided about the role the Jets had allegedly offered Gruden.
Gruden hasn’t held an NFL coaching job since the 2021 season, when he resigned from his head coaching job with the Las Vegas Raiders after emails he sent containing racist, homophobic and misogynistic remarks during his time at ESPN were leaked to the media.
Gruden consulted in an unofficial capacity with the New Orleans Saints during the 2023 NFL season. More recently, he has worked producing content for Barstool Sports.
Despite his NFL absence, Gruden’s name has routinely been bandied about in the rumor mill. In addition to the recent Jets rumor, NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero mentioned teams had done ‘extensive homework’ on the Super Bowl 37-winning coach prior to the 2025 NFL coaching cycle.
It remains unclear whether any NFL team will ever interview Gruden in an official capacity – let alone give him a chance to return to the league.