Jon Gruden hasn't seriously considered any coaching gigs since he resigned from the Las Vegas Raiders just five games into their 2021 season. Yet, one NFC team's current circumstance seems to have caught the attention of the legendary NFL head coach and 2003 Super Bowl champion — and could present the perfect fit for Gruden's return to coaching.
According to a report from Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com, the New Orleans Saints are strongly considering bringing Gruden on board as part of their coaching staff.
According to Duncan's report, Gruden visited with Saints officials when the team played against Tampa Bay (where Gruden has a home) in Week 17 of the regular season. It's believed that this visit included Gruden attending a team meeting and dining with members of the franchise — most notably Mickey Loomis, the Saints' general manager.
The brass of the Saints — who finished the regular season with a 9-8 record and are missing the playoffs for the third straight year — have made it known that they believe a change is necessary. But they apparently also told Dennis Allen, the Saints' current head coach (who is 16-18 without a playoff appearance in two seasons leading the Saints), that he'll be back at the helm next season.
Dennis Allen said his expectation is he'll be back as Saints coach. He made it clear that 7-10 and 9-8 in his first two years wasn't good enough, though. And he's sure that GM Mickey Loomis will have feedback where he could be better.
— Mike Triplett (@MikeTriplett) January 8, 2024
Therefore, if the Saints are to hire Gruden, it doesn't appear that he'd assume the team's head coach position — at least, not right away.
Which raises the question: What coaching role Gruden would assume for the Saints?
One obvious possibility would be as their quarterbacks coach. Gruden not only has prior experience as a quarterbacks coach, but Derek Carr — the Saints' current quarterback — was with the Raiders when Gruden coached there from 2018-21, and the two apparently have a great relationship. Although some Saints fans surely want to see Carr ousted from the starting role, he is still under contract for two more seasons, and the Saints' brass seems to believe he can still help them win.
Gruden is best known for his offensive genius, which means that a role as the Saints' offensive coordinator also makes a lot of sense. Considering that the Saints' offense was incredibly inconsistent all season, and was criticized by fans for being too conservative, making Gruden their new play-caller could be the perfect move.
Regardless of what role Gruden joins the Saints for (if he ends up being hired by them), one would imagine that if the Saints struggle next season, we could see Gruden soon becoming their head coach.
