Jon Gruden: 'I don't want to be considered for any of these jobs'

Jon Gruden last coached in the NFL with the Buccaneers in 2008. (Steven Senne/AP) Jon Gruden's name often is quick to the tongue of fans watching their teams

Jon Gruden last coached in the NFL with the Buccaneers in 2008. (Steven Senne/AP)

Jon Gruden's name often is quick to the tongue of fans watching their teams suffer through coaching upheaval. The Browns chased him some last offseason, and at least Detroit and Houston have been mentioned as possibilities should Gruden want to return to the NFL ranks.

But Gruden, currently ESPN's Monday Night Football analyst, quickly quashed those rumors in an interview with the Pioneer Press.

"I don't want to be considered for any of these jobs," Gruden told Chris Tomasson. "I don't want to be considered for anything. There are plenty of good candidates out there. I'm just sick for the guys who can no longer coach their teams. ... I'm hoping to do the best I can to hang on to my job."

Who knows if Gruden would hold to those comments should a franchise come calling with an aggressive pitch. Gruden last coached in the NFL in 2008, his seventh season with Tampa Bay. He won the Super Bowl in his first year there, after moving over from Oakland.

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CBS' Jason LaCanfora actually reported last week that Gruden could be "drawn to the possibility" of returning to Oakland. La Canfora also mentioned Atlanta as a landing spot that might intrigue Gruden.

Neither of those jobs are currently open, with Dennis Allen still in position in Oakland and Mike Smith apparently set to return for the Falcons. Of the six openings that have become available (Tampa Bay, Houston, Detroit, Minnesota, Washington and Cleveland), the Buccaneers' gig figures to be out considering that Gruden was fired by the current ownership group.

Gruden's possible financial demands could price him out of the picture for the others listed there.