Victory Lap: Former Raiders HC Jon Gruden Wears Red at KC Chiefs Training Camp

One of Andy Reid's old friends – and recent AFC West division rivals – was in town for Chiefs training camp to close out the weekend.

Sep 15, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden meet after the game at the Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports / Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs won't see the Las Vegas Raiders until late October, but there was a clash of the bitter AFC West rivals' histories this weekend. Ironically, it's also a blast from the past years of Andy Reid's coaching career.

Former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden, who spent over three seasons with the club in his second stint and fueled battles against Kansas City, was present for Chiefs training camp on Sunday. PJ Green of FOX 4 captured the appearance in St. Joseph, Missouri.

He’s covered in Chiefs gear, but that is former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden at #Chiefs practice today.. pic.twitter.com/0cI7MO7GU4

— PJ Green (@ByPJGreen) August 4, 2024

Contrary to his time in Oakland and Las Vegas, Gruden was spotted donning Chiefs apparel this weekend. This is almost surely due to his history with Reid, as the two were on the same coaching staff under Mike Holmgren in the '90s. Those Green Bay Packers days sparked a friendship that appears to be alive and well to this day.

Prior to a Chiefs-Raiders matchup in 2018, Reid spoke about his time working with Gruden.

"We were both young and we were able to learn a ton from a great head coach," Reid explained Wednesday. "Jon and I spent a lot of time together, along with Steve Mariucci, we were the youngest guys on the staff. We all kind of bonded and did our thing. We did a lot of the gopher work, which we loved. Great learning experience and great foundation to build on."

In three full years and parts of a fourth during his second go-round with the Raiders, Gruden posted a 22-31 record. He lost all but one game against Kansas City during that span, with that lone win leading to some controversy. Following a 40-32 win over the Chiefs on the road, Gruden's team had a bus driver take a victory lap around the stadium. Gruden claimed it was because of a "smart-aleck bus driver in Kansas City," but Reid wasn't too enthused. Tucker Franklin covered the saga for Kansas City Chiefs On SI back in 2020.

“Well, listen, they won the game, so they can do anything they want to do if they end up winning the game," Reid said. "That’s not our style, but we’ll get ourselves back, ready to play, and that’s where we’re at.”

Since then, things didn't get much better for Gruden. Following reports of racist statements about a union leader and emails featuring homophobic and misogynistic remarks surfacing, he resigned as the Raiders' head coach five games into the 2021 season. Las Vegas went on to finish 10-7, later losing in the Wild Card round of the postseason.

Gruden ended up suing the NFL after leaving the Raiders. Following an unfavorable outcome for him, his request for a rehearing was denied earlier this summer. The 60-year-old reportedly wants Nevada court to reconsider the lawsuit again, remaining persistent in that regard.

In the meantime, the former Super Bowl-winning coach is spending time with one of his old friends – and rivals – on the Missouri Western State University campus.

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