Dennis Allen responds to criticism of Jon Gruden’s Saints visit

Dec 19, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen serves as head coach as Sean Payton has Covid-19 during the second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

New Orleans Saints coach Dennis Allen responded to critics of Jon Gruden’s recent visit to the team.

Gruden, who was forced to resign from the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021 over a series of damaging emails, paid a visit to the Saints during OTAs to help the team implement a new offense for former Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. Given what led to Gruden’s ouster, and his ongoing lawsuit against the NFL, there were some critics of that decision.

Allen, however, said he had no concerns about backlash, and that Gruden’s visit was beneficial for the team.

Allen was asked about concerns regarding backlash about bringing in Gruden for a visit. "No, look, you ask everybody that was involved and they thought it was really beneficial for our football team. And look, we're going to look at any avenue that we can to try to improve..

— Katherine Terrell (@Kat_Terrell) May 30, 2023

Gruden’s visit appears to have been a one-off, and Allen is not making much of it. In fact, there have been no links for Gruden regarding NFL jobs, though he has been linked to a few college positions.

Carr is entering his first season with New Orleans after joining as a free agent in the offseason. His best seasons came with Gruden and the Raiders, including four 4,000-yard seasons.