Las Vegas Raiders

Members of the Las Vegas Raiders visited former head coach Jon Gruden to personally say goodbye to the 58-year-old and "get some closure," according to Fox Sports' Jay Glazer.

The Inside Scoop – Week 6 @NFLonFOX

The latest on the situation with the #Raiders. Also, with Kliff Kingsbury not being able to coach today due to covid-19, who will take over for him? And did @ZERTZ_86 know he will be traded before the game on Thursday night? #NFL #InsideScoop pic.twitter.com/TMsv3axmdH

— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) October 17, 2021

Gruden resigned from his post Monday after multiple reports surfaced about racist, anti-gay and misogynistic language he had used in emails.

The situation evolved quickly.

The Wall Street Journal's Andrew Beaton reported Oct. 8 that Gruden, in a 2011 email, used a racist trope in reference to NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith.

Raiders owner Mark Davis condemned the comments, but that didn't stop Gruden from coaching the team to a Week 5 loss to the Chicago Bears.

On Monday, Ken Belson and Katherine Rosman of the New York Times provided more details about his past email correspondence.

At one point, Gruden used an anti-gay slur in reference to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell as well as calling him a "clueless anti football p---y." He also admonished Goodell for supposedly pressuring the St. Louis Rams to draft Michael Sam, who is gay, in 2014.

Gruden referred to Sam with an anti-gay slur as well. 

Shortly after the New York Times report was published, Gruden announced his resignation. Rich Bisaccia, the team's assistant head coach and special teams coordinator, took over as head coach on an interim basis.

His departure was so abrupt that he and the Raiders failed to finalize the terms of his exit.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported the two parties are negotiating a settlement regarding his contract. The terms of his 10-year, $100 million contract included a payout of around $40 million over the first five years of the deal. 

The Las Vegas Raiders are reportedly expected to work out a contract settlement with former head coach Jon Gruden following his resignation.

According to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, the settlement is "customary" for those who step down from their positions in the NFL. Rapoport and Pelissero also noted that Gruden signed a 10-year, $100 million contract in 2018 and was due $40 million over the first five seasons.

Gruden officially resigned as head coach of the Raiders last week after leaked emails showed him using racist, anti-gay and misogynistic language.

Ken Belson and Katherine Rosman of the New York Times leaked the emails, one of which featured Gruden saying NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith had "lips the size of Michelin tires."

Gruden also used an anti-gay slur when discussing NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell with then-Washington Football Team president Bruce Allen during an email correspondence 10 years ago while Gruden was a color commentator for ESPN's Monday Night Football.

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported Sunday that Raiders owner Mark Davis initially didn't want to part ways with Gruden but "begrudgingly" did so after more emails went public.

Davis reportedly felt the email leaks were a "hit job" against him and the Raiders, although the NFL has denied any involvement.

The 58-year-old Gruden was the Raiders' head coach from 1998-2001 before making the move to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and spending the next seven seasons with the Bucs.

After not coaching for nine seasons, the Raiders lured him back into the fold in 2018.

Gruden went 38-26 with two playoff appearances during his first stint with the Raiders, and led the Bucs to a Super Bowl win in 2002.

His second run with the Raiders was far less successful, as he went just 22-31 with no playoff berths in parts of four seasons.

Rich Bisaccia, who previously served as the Raiders' assistant head coach and special teams coordinator, has taken over as interim head coach in the wake of Gruden's resignation.

Per Rapoport and Pelissero, Davis and a small group of advisors plan to soon begin the search for a new head coach and will determine whether Mike Mayock will remain in the fold as general manager.

As the Las Vegas Raiders begin life without Jon Gruden, the next order of business for owner Mark Davis will be figuring out the long-term direction of the franchise. 

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, Davis will "convene a small group of advisers" to help assist in the search for a new full-time head coach and to see if Mike Mayock should stay on as general manager.

Gruden resigned as Raiders head coach Oct. 11 in the wake of multiple reports detailing his use of racist, homophobic and misogynistic terms in emails to describe people within the NFL, including NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith and commissioner Roger Goodell, between 2011-18.

According to Rapoport and Pelissero, Davis addressed the Raiders as a team Wednesday: 

He discussed the timeline of events leading to Gruden's exit, including multiple leaks of the coach's personal emails in which he used racist, homophobic and misogynistic language. He also talked about how close he was to Gruden, how difficult the situation was for both of them, and why he chose longtime Gruden assistant Rich Bisaccia as the right man to be interim coach as the franchise tries to move forward. He was, in the words of one coach, 'all positive.'

Bisaccia was in his fourth season as an assistant head coach and special teams coordinator on Gruden's staff before being named interim head coach.

Rapoport and Pelissero noted that Mayock was handpicked by Gruden to be the Raiders general manager when he was hired in December 2018.

The report also named a long list of potential candidates the Raiders are expected to look into, including Bisaccia, Gus Bradley, Buffalo Bills coordinators Brian Daboll and Leslie Frazier, and Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Don Martindale.

After an impressive 3-0 start to the season, the Raiders have lost their last two games. The offense has scored a combined total of 23 points in the previous two weeks. They averaged 30 points per game over the first three games.   

Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis is reportedly unhappy with the manner in which offensive emails sent 10 years ago by Jon Gruden to then-Washington Football Team president Bruce Allen were leaked to the public.

According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, a source said of Davis: "He thinks the league office is out to get him. He thinks it's a hit job."

After Gruden's emails were leaked, he resigned from his position as head coach of the Raiders last week.

Initially, an email in which Gruden told Allen that NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith had "lips the size of Michelin tires" was the first to leak. At the time, Gruden worked for ESPN as a color analyst on Monday Night Football.

Additional leaks followed from Ken Belson and Katherine Rosman of the New York Times, and they saw Gruden use anti-gay and misogynistic language.

Per La Canfora, Davis was aware of the emails before the public was and didn't plan to take action against Gruden until public pressure forced him to "begrudgingly" do so.

Davis reportedly felt some within the league office were "intent" on forcing Gruden out of Vegas with "calculated media leaks" of his email, although the NFL has denied any involvement in the leaks.

La Canfora also noted that Davis is considering potential legal action against the league.

Gruden initially coached the Raiders from 1998-2001 before making his return in 2018. During his second stint with the organization, Gruden went 22-31 with no playoff appearances.

The Raiders are off to a solid start this season at 3-2, although they dropped each of their past two games against the Los Angeles Chargers and Chicago Bears.

Now, longtime Gruden assistant Rich Bisaccia is taking over as head coach on an interim basis. Prior to Gruden's departure, he was the assistant head coach and special teams coordinator.

Davis will have to rely on Bisaccia for the remainder of the 2021 season in hopes that he can help the Raiders earn their first playoff berth since 2016.

Ex-Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden resigned last Monday after emails containing racist, anti-gay and misogynistic language were found amid the NFL's investigation into sexual harassment and verbal abuse allegations within the Washington Football Team organization.

On Friday, the Associated Press (h/t ESPN News Services) reported that none of the 650,000 emails that are part of the investigation contain similar language from current team or league employees.

A source told the AP that the league "did not identify other areas and other individuals it has to contact at club leadership or league leadership levels."

The source then mentioned the Raiders' former leader specifically, adding that "the NFL did not identify any problems anywhere near what you saw with Jon Gruden."

On Friday, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith called on the NFL to release all of the emails:

The revelations in recent days about what Jeff Pash, Bruce Allen and others have said in private are both disrespectful and unacceptable in our sport, business and society and I have relayed my thoughts directly to the Commissioner with respect to this latest email release.

— DeMaurice Smith (@demauricesmith) October 16, 2021

Our players deserve a full accounting of any other NFL misconduct, which is why we once again call for the league to release all of the emails from the Washington investigation. Any evidence or knowledge that this has been suppressed must be brought to light.

— DeMaurice Smith (@demauricesmith) October 16, 2021

The language found in Gruden's emails were sent to ex-WFT president Bruce Allen and others from 2011-2018. Gruden worked as an ESPN NFL analyst from 2009-2018 before being hired as the Raiders' head coach in 2018.

The Washington Football Team fired Allen after the 2019 season, when they went 3-13.

The fallout from Jon Gruden's resignation as Raiders coach will linger for some time, but NFL games don't stop, and the Raiders have to play Sunday against the rival Denver Broncos.

From this moment forward, owner Mark Davis will have to make multiple decisions regarding the franchise's operations, but a fresh start is exactly what the organization needs.

Gruden's second tenure with the Raiders organization ended with a disgraced coach resigning because of racist, anti-gay and misogynistic remarks he made in past emails. The New York Times' expose obliterated a relationship that Davis termed "a big f'in deal" upon Gruden's hiring. Now less than four years into a 10-year contract, Davis will be forced to look elsewhere while his franchise carries a significant black eye for its belief in a coach who had an outdated and wildly inappropriate mindset.

Before any of Gruden's comments came to light, the Raiders had already begun to struggle. A promising 3-0 start was followed by a two-game losing streak. Normally, a 3-2 record isn't a major cause for concern, but the Raiders' recent history says otherwise.

Last season, the newly minted Las Vegas franchise began the year 6-3 before losing five of its final seven games. In 2019, a 6-4 start turned into a 7-9 record. A 4-12 performance preceded those two seasons. The Raiders have still posted only one winning season since the team made an appearance in Super Bowl XXXVII during the 2002 campaign.

Gruden wasn't working out long before his emails forced a departure. It's not an excuse. It's simply the reality of Raiders football and the franchise's longstanding relationship with mediocrity or worse. But sweeping change is exactly what's called for as the team transitions under interim head coach Rich Bisaccia.

Any time an interim opportunity presents itself, the possibility of the situation becoming permanent exists.

The 61-year-old Bisaccia has been an assistant head coach with four different NFL franchises. He has the experience to keep the team together during trying times.

Furthermore, the Raiders feature an experienced and capable staff. Gus Bradley has done a wonderful job turning around a Las Vegas defense that struggled greatly in recent years, particularly with creating pressure. Rod Marinelli is widely considered one of the game's best assistant coaches. Greg Olson has been the offensive coordinator and/or quarterbacks coach for seven different NFL franchises.

Generally speaking, one of two things happens when abrupt change occurs. Either the team rallies around the remaining staff, or it falls completely apart. The former seems to be a more likely occurrence with the Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants (after the team's bye) next on the docket. All three are winnable games before the Raiders face the Kansas City Chiefs.

If the squad spins out of control, another candidate will have the opportunity to hire new staff and start anew with different philosophies, schemes and personnel.

Without Gruden, the look of the Raiders will change. Whoever becomes the permanent head coach will want players who fit the new approach. Quarterback automatically jumps to the forefront since Derek Carr holds a $19.8 million salary-cap hit in 2022 with no remaining guaranteed money on his current deal. Carr has spent years dealing with a head coach who always had his eye on other options. Maybe a fresh start is best for the 30-year-old signal-caller.

More movement will almost certainly be seen.

The Raiders made a rash of bad roster decisions over the last four offseasons, starting with the Khalil Mack trade.

In 2018, the organization signed a large group of aging veterans to short-term deals in order to help facilitate a quick turnaround. The approach didn't work. A year later, Trent Brown and LaMarcus Joyner's free-agent signings ultimately backfired after each inked massive deals. Linebacker Cory Littleton and his three-year, $36 million free-agent contract don't seem to be working out, either.

A little damage control will also be necessary when it comes to those who exceeded expectations. Contract extensions for Maxx Crosby, Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller could be affected if the situation isn't handled properly.

From a draft perspective, the Raiders have continually whiffed by reaching for specific talents the front office clearly valued far more than others around the league.

In 2018, Kolton Miller turned out to be an exceptional left tackle, but the second- and third-round selections of P.J. Hall, Brandon Parker and Arden Key didn't develop as expected. Clelin Ferrell doesn't start despite being the fourth overall pick in the 2019 draft. 2020 first-rounder Henry Ruggs III is starting to come around at wide receiver, but cornerback Damon Arnette—the Raiders' final first-rounder from the Mack trade—has experienced a disastrous start to his career. Alex Leatherwood, whom the franchise chose with this year's 17th overall pick, has already been moved from right tackle to guard.

Davis and Gruden hired Mike Mayock as general manager despite him having zero front-office experience. Mayock is an excellent evaluator, but the position requires more than talent assessment. Maybe an experienced front-office executive can join the organization and help Mayock. Otherwise, a change could be forthcoming in the personnel department as well.

Gruden's remarks and how he carried himself during his time with the Raiders leave a stain on the team's operations. But his comments and attitude don't define Raiders football.

Davis made a mistake because he became infatuated with a coach who previously helped resuscitate the once-proud franchise during his father's ownership. The son of such an influential voice in professional football tried to make his own mark. Davis gambled big and lost.

The Raiders should see what comes next. The right hire can go a long way to changing perceptions. The Raiders are set up to succeed in Las Vegas. In order to do so, the franchise needs the right person to lead the way.

                       

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr spoke with reporters in the aftermath of Jon Gruden's resignation after it was revealed that the team's now-former head coach routinely used racist, anti-gay and misogynistic language in emails while he worked as an ESPN football analyst in the 2010s.

"I hate the action, but I love the person," Carr said of Gruden.

Carr added more comments regarding the language used:

"What's right is right, what's wrong is wrong."

— Paul Gutierrez (@PaulHGutierrez) October 13, 2021

The emails were part of the NFL's investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and verbal abuse within the Washington Football Team organization. Some of the emails Gruden sent were addressed to former WFT president Bruce Allen.

The New York Times' Katherine Rosman and Ken Belson reported Monday many of the findings, which included anti-gay slurs against Commissioner Roger Goodell and former defensive end Michael Sam, decrying women refereeing games and the sharing of photos of topless women who worked as WFT cheerleaders.

Per Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal, Gruden was also found to have used racist tropes when discussing NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith, who is Black.

Gruden resigned Monday evening.

Carr, the former Fresno State star, has been the Raiders' quarterback for the entirety of Gruden's second tenure with the team, which began in 2018.

In a one-on-one interview with Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal published June 15, Carr revealed how close he and Gruden had become:

What people don't understand is how close we are. Not just football, but off the field. Whether it's him texting videos of his dog and what they're doing, and I'm sending him videos of my kids hitting baseballs in their first game. People don't understand that. And we're going on four years together ... But we honestly care about one another. We love one another. We grind together. He pushes me. I push him. It's a great relationship. And I told him, man, I don't want to play for anybody else. I'm playing for you. This has been the most fun playing quarterback I've ever had.

Rich Bisaccia is the interim head coach for the 3-2 Raiders. He was the team's assistant head coach and special teams coordinator until earning his new title.

EA Sports is removing Jon Gruden's likeness from Madden NFL 22 following his resignation as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.

The company announced Wednesday a generic likeness will take Gruden's place.

pic.twitter.com/KSKsJ1iVXU

— Madden NFL 25 (@EAMaddenNFL) October 13, 2021

Gruden's resignation followed multiple reports that he used racist, anti-gay and misogynistic language in email correspondence.

Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal reported Friday that the 58-year-old said NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith had "lips the size of michellin tires" in an email to former Washington Football Team president Bruce Allen. He also referred to Smith as "Dumboriss."

While the comment about Smith's facial features echoed a racist trope about Black people, Gruden told Beaton that "I don't have a racial bone in my body" and that he used the phrase "rubber lips" to describe people he thinks are lying.

Smith spoke out about the situation Monday:

The email has also revealed why the comments by some with powerful platforms to explain this away are insidious and hypocritical. It is as if there is a need to protect football above the values of equality, inclusion and respect.

— DeMaurice Smith (@demauricesmith) October 11, 2021

I appreciate that he reached out to me & I told him that we will connect soon, but make no mistake, the news is not about what is said in our private conversation, but what else is said by people who never thought they would be exposed and how they are going to be held to account

— DeMaurice Smith (@demauricesmith) October 11, 2021

Gruden continued to serve in his capacity as the Raiders' coach following the revelation, with Las Vegas losing 20-9 to the Chicago Bears in Week 5.

On Monday, however, the New York Times' Ken Belson and Katherine Rosman published more details from Gruden emails, which were part of an unrelated investigation into the Washington Football Team's workplace culture.

Gruden called NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell a "f----t" and a "clueless anti football p---y." He also asserted that Goodell put pressure on former St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher to draft "queers" after the Rams selected Michael Sam, making him the first out gay player to be drafted into the NFL.

Gruden subsequently announced he was stepping down and apologized, saying he "never meant to hurt anyone."

Las Vegas Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia addressed the media Wednesday to discuss his new role after replacing Jon Gruden:

Rich Bisaccia’s opening statement as the interim head coach of the #Raiders pic.twitter.com/Kuj2Zl0561

— Levi Edwards (@theleviedwards) October 13, 2021

"We all have a responsibility here," Bisaccia told reporters. "Have to be held accountable to our words and our actions. No one person is bigger than the Raiders shield."

The 61-year-old was named the interim coach on Monday following Gruden's resignation. Gruden had reportedly used racist, sexist and anti-gay language in emails sent to former Washington Football Team president Bruce Allen and others, according to Ken Belson and Katherine Rosman of the New York Times.   

Bisaccia previously served as the team's special teams coordinator and is in his 20th season as an NFL coach, including his fourth campaign with the Raiders. He has been an assistant head coach since 2019.  

Bisaccia said he was "appreciative" of Gruden for giving him a job.

"I certainly have an affinity for Coach Gruden," the coach added. "... I'm still friends with Coach Gruden."

However, he noted he hasn't spoken to Gruden since Monday and is hoping the organization can move forward.

"We cannot change the past, but maybe we can do more to make tomorrow better," Bisaccia said in his opening statement. 

The challenge for the Raiders will be to refocus on football heading into Sunday's road game against the Denver Broncos. The team has lost two straight after a 3-0 start, but Bisaccia noted this coaching change is different than other midseason firings.

"The thing that is unique to us is we have a good team," Bisaccia said.

The squad is just one game behind the 4-1 Los Angeles Chargers, who are in first place in the AFC West, although it's a competitive division with the Denver Broncos (3-2) and last year's conference champion Kansas City Chiefs (2-3).

"We have 12 games left," Bisaccia added, "...the team's goals are still alive."   

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib, who came out publicly as gay in June, was granted a personal day Wednesday following the fallout of Jon Gruden's resignation, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

Raiders general manager Mike Mayock said Nassib requested the time because he has "a lot to process."

Gruden stepped down as head coach of the Raiders Tuesday after the contents of emails in which he used anti-gay, sexist and racist language were published by the New York Times' Ken Belson and Katherine Rosman.

The coach reportedly referred to commissioner Roger Goodell as a "f----t" while saying the league pressured the Los Angeles Rams to draft "q---rs," referring to openly gay defensive end Michael Sam.

Sam was a seventh-round pick in the 2014 draft but never appeared in a regular-season game. Nassib was the first player to compete in an NFL game after coming out.

Nassib is in his sixth NFL season and second year with the Raiders, appearing in all five games in 2021 while totaling nine tackles, 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble. 

The 28-year-old has played 31 percent of defensive snaps for Las Vegas this season, per Pro Football Reference, providing pass-rushing depth behind Yannick Ngakoue and Maxx Crosby. He is currently working ahead of Clelin Ferrell, who was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 draft.