Old emails Jon Gruden sent to former Washington Football Team executive Bruce Allen (and others) have been publicly exposed, and they have proven to be problematic for the Las Vegas Raiders head coach.
The emails Gruden sent came from the 2011-2018 time period. The emails were uncovered during the NFL’s investigation into the Washington Football Team regarding the franchise’s workplace environment. According to the New York Times, the league completed its investigation and sent commissioner Roger Goodell a summary of findings last week.
One email in which Gruden remarked about NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith having Michelin tire lips made headlines on Friday. The email was described as Gruden using a racist trope against Smith, although the coach disputed that and said he was calling Smith a liar.
On Monday night, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the NFL sent more “damaging” emails sent by Gruden to the Raiders for them to review. The New York Times later revealed the contents of the emails.
According to the New York Times, Gruden used problematic language regarding gay people.
From the Times’ story:
In the emails, Gruden called the league’s commissioner, Roger Goodell, a “faggot” and a “clueless anti football p---y” and said that Goodell should not have pressured Jeff Fisher, then the coach of the Rams, to draft “queers,” a reference to Michael Sam, a gay player chosen by the team in 2014.
There is more.
The Times says “Gruden exchanged emails with Allen and other men that included photos of women wearing only bikini bottoms, including one photo of two Washington team cheerleaders.”
Gruden also was critical of Eric Reid for kneeling for the national anthem and called out Goodell with disparaging language, the report says. You can read the entire story here.
Gruden was in his second stint as head coach of the Raiders. The Raiders are currently 3-2. The 58-year-old won a Super Bowl as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2002 season.
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