The Tampa Bay Buccaneers distanced themselves from Jon Gruden after the former head coach was forced out of the NFL years ago, but it sounds like the two sides are ready for a reunion.
Gruden was invited by the Glazer family, who own the Buccaneers, to attend Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. Gruden accepted the invitation and will enjoy the game from the family’s luxury box, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
Former Bucs head coach Jon Gruden is a guest of the Glazer family and will be in their owner’s box today. It’s the first step in a reconciliation that will likely lead to the Super Bowl winning coach being reinstated in the club’s Ring of Honor.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) November 10, 2024
Stroud believes the friendly meeting will be the first step toward Gruden being welcomed back into the Buccaneers’ Ring of Honor.
The Buccaneers announced in October 2021 that they had removed Gruden from their Ring of Honor after numerous offensive emails that Gruden sent between 2011-2018 were leaked. The email scandal led to Gruden being pushed out as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. One of the emails included a crude message toward Bucs owner Bryan Glazer.
Gruden has sued the NFL, claiming people within the league intentionally leaked the emails to force him out of a job. That litigation is still ongoing.
The 61-year-old Gruden was also spotted at one team’s training camp over the summer. If he continues to mend relationships and become more visible around the NFL, it is possible he could eventually coach in the league again.
