Jay Gruden had listened to talk about his job being in jeopardy for well over a month before he was fired, and it would only be human nature if that took a toll on him. Judging by some of the things we have heard since the Washington Redskins fired Gruden, it sounds like that may have been the case.
More than one Redskins player told ESPN’s Josina Anderson on Monday that the environment in Washington had become far too lax this season. One player recalled a time when a member of the team — he didn’t say if it was a coach or fellow player — was browsing Snapchat during practice.
Redskins player to me on coaching change: "It was time. Too much laziness & stubborn *%#@ going on around here. Folks not taking #@$! serious. Looking at snap chat during practice, come on now. You know who I'm talking about. Guys were talking about it. We'll see how it goes."
— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) October 7, 2019
Another player said he likes Gruden personally but could tell the coach knew he would not be keeping his job much longer.
Another #Skins player checks in: "Gruden is a good dude, but you can tell he saw the writing on the wall though. Players like him, it just got a little too laid back here lately & sometimes that can bite you in the butt. I've seen some things here I've never seen on other teams."
— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) October 7, 2019
Gruden has reportedly been at odds with Washington’s front office for quite some time. There have been rumblings that he did not want to draft Dwayne Haskins in the first round, and he seemed to want nothing to do with one key veteran player that the team chose to re-sign last offseason. It’s hard to continue putting the same level of commitment into your work when you know there’s an expiration date on it.
