Former Raiders Head Coach Suffers Loss in Court Case

Former Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden's case against the National Football League suffered a significant blow.

Sep 13, 2021; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden reacts against the Baltimore Ravens at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

After parting ways with the Las Vegas Raiders, Jon Gruden sued the National Football League for numerous reasons surrounding his firing.

Gruden’s case would take the typical route court cases take. According to Ken Ritter of the Associated Press, during the court process, Gruden asked "three Nevada Supreme Court justices to reconsider whether his lawsuit against the NFL over emails leaked to the media before he resigned as coach of the Las Vegas Raiders should be heard in court or private arbitration."

The court’s website posted a two-word order regarding Gruden’s request, stating, “Rehearing denied.” Gruden’s attorneys, the league, and an NFL spokesman did not respond to the court’s ruling. It is unknown if Gruden will attempt a hearing before the entire Nevada state high court. 

Gruden’s team of lawyers attempted to have a rehearing after the court’s decision on May 14, which allowed the league to move the civil contract interference and conspiracy case into arbitration.

Gruden and his lawyers’ main issue with arbitration is that it could be overseen by one of the defendants in Gruden’s lawsuit, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. One of the justices wrote that it would be “outrageous” for Goodell to arbitrate Gruden’s dispute since Goodell is listed as a defendant.

Gruden filed his lawsuit in November of 2021, alleging Goodell and the NFL pressured him to resign from his position as head coach of the Raiders by leaking Gruden’s racist, sexist, and homophobic emails, which Gruden sent many years before his second stint as the Raiders’ head coach. 

The court’s two-justice majority recently said that Gruden acknowledged that the NFL constitution allowed disputes to be resolved by arbitration. However, it is unclear to Gruden and the court whether Goodell or a designated third-party arbitrator would hear Gruden’s case against the NFL.

Gruden’s case against the NFL will likely continue for a few more years as things get sorted out. The ruling will likely set a precedent for future disputes between coaches, teams, and the league. Time will tell what happens with Gruden’s case.

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