Jon Gruden is back. After a huge scandal during his time with the Raiders which led to his firing, it was fair to wonder whether we would ever see Gruden back in the NFL. That question has now been answered, as he has reportedly taken a role in a limited capacity with the New Orleans Saints.
Per Nola.com, Gruden has been working with the Saints and new quarterback Derek Carr. Gruden has familiarity with Carr from his time with the Raiders and has long been known as an offensive guru. He has spent this week helping to orchestrate the early stages of the team's offense. The Saints are hoping that Carr can raise the floor of an offense that struggled last season to move the ball. There is no shortage of weapons in New Orleans, which is led by second-year receiver Chris Olave, veteran Michael Thomas and others.
The NFC South division is ripe for the taking. Tampa Bay is going to take a step back this season. Carolina is relying on a rookie quarterback and Atlanta has major questions at quarterback in their own right. If the Saints are halfway decent, that might be good enough to win the division.
For his part, Gruden is presumably hoping to show that he still has value in this league while Carr is trying to prove many doubters wrong. The NFC is wide open and there is a chance that the Saints overperform simply because of their schedule.
It is a little surprising to see Jon Gruden make an appearance in the NFL so soon. The scandal was a messy one and the kind that often ends careers. The hope is that he has had a change of heart, learned from the experience and can benefit the Saints this season.
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