Jerry Jones Makes Cryptic Comment About Jon Gruden Amid Coaching Rumors

Thearon W&period; Henderson/Getty Images

Jerry Jones Makes Cryptic Comment About Jon Gruden Amid Coaching Rumors

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Jan 3, 2025 1:02 PM ET

Amid news that former Super Bowl champion head coach Jon Gruden is ending his self-imposed NFL exile and vying for a new job in 2025, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was asked about the possibility of Gruden joining his team.

Appearing on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas this week, Jones briefly addressed the possibility of Gruden joining the team with a rather interesting statement. He stated that he didn't "have any comment there at all" but added that Gruden is a friend.

"I just don't have any comment there at all. Jon is a friend, and let's leave it at that," Jones said.

Cowboys fans immediately got concerned over that statement. With head coach Mike McCarthy's contract expiring in a few weeks, Jones may already be working on finding a successor at the head coaching position in Dallas.

"I swear if he hires Gruden, I will find a new team. I’ve had it with this (expletive)," one user wrote on X.

"If Jon Gruden is on the table for real we will forever be doomed as an organization. might as well keep McCarthy," wrote another.

"I feel like if they would look at another HC, it would be him…. Tells me they are keeping McCarthy barring McCarthy wanting to come back…" a third wrote.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 10: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Las Vegas Raiders walks on the field before a game against the Chicago Bears at Allegiant Stadium on October 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bears defeated the Raiders 20-9. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)Getty Images.

Gruden doesn't have quite the same appeal as he previously had when the Raiders brought him out of the broadcasting booth in 2018. In his second stint with the Raiders he went just 22-31. You have to go all the way back to 2005 to find a time where Gruden led a team to more than nine wins in a season.

Even if you only overlook his record since leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the Super Bowl way back in 2002, the email leak that ultimately led to his resignation with the Raiders back in 2021 isn't exactly something that has fans begging him to come back either.

Nevertheless, the Cowboys are a team with Super Bowl aspirations and Jones may not have the patience for a head coach learning on the job if he plans on making a change.

Gruden's best days may be behind him, but his best days are arguably better than any available coach not named Bill Belichick.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: