Gruden wants to ‘burn the house down,’ won’t settle lawsuit

Jon Gruden Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Jon Gruden wants to 'burn the house down,' won't settle NFL lawsuit

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 7/13/23

Figuring out who actually leaked a series of misogynistic, racist and anti-LGBTQ+ emails that ultimately led to his firing as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders is a web Jon Gruden has been trying to unweave for the better part of 18 months.

Embattled in a lawsuit against the NFL and its commissioner Roger Goodell, which he filed in 2021, Gruden has won all of his court motions against the league as he fights tooth and nail to prove Goodell executed a hit job against him that cost him his career as a coach and other “future employment prospects and endorsement opportunities.”

Here’s the introduction to Jon Gruden’s lawsuit against the NFL and Roger Goodell, alleging the league leaked Gruden’s emails to reporters. (The NFL has denied this.)

“Defendants … did intend to hurt Gruden and they did so with unchecked hypocrisy and arrogance.” pic.twitter.com/D7WUNwuxRS
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 12, 2021

“Gruden persists in believing that Goodell ‘pushed the code red’ against him, he told associates, adding that the commissioner executed the ‘kill shot’ on his career — ‘a bullet to the head,’” ESPN reported on Wednesday. “Gruden insists he won't settle his lawsuit for any amount, intending to ‘burn the house down’ to reveal the truth about who ordered the leaks.”

As the defendant in Gruden’s lawsuit, the NFL has to prove it was not the source of the leaked emails that caused Gruden to lose his job. Per ESPN, a congressional report released in December suggested the Washington Commanders actually leaked the emails.

Gruden’s case is currently before the Nevada Supreme Court, which will decide if the case will move forward or go to arbitration, where the NFL will essentially control every part of the hearing while details of the case won’t be made public.

The NFL believes it has a strong case for arbitration, citing Gruden agreed to such when he signed a 10-year, $100 million contract to coach the Raiders in 2019. However, the 59-year-old Gruden is arguing that he’s no longer bound by that provision since he’s no longer an employee of the NFL and accepted a settlement from the Raiders.

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