Jon Gruden wants to coach again, just not the Rams

Los Angeles Rams fans, if you see Super Bowl-winning head coach Jon Gruden coaching in the NFL in 2018 don’t be surprised…or offended.

Los Angeles Rams fans should recall that one of Clint Eastwood’s catch phrases back in the day was, “a man’s got to know his limitations.” Looking back only to last December, ex-NFL coach Jon Gruden certainly knew his in regards to the Rams.

It was then that the Los Angeles Rams, reportedly looking for star power to replace Jeff Fisher, came calling. Gruden jumped ahead of a possible media avalanche squashing anyone’s hopes, fears or otherwise by quickly expressing his disinterest. He said that he was happy with his current job. More on that in a bit.

After a recent interview, vice president/publisher/senior beat writer of the Tampa Bay Bucs PewterReport.com, Scott Reynolds, may have become the first person to drop the 2018 coaching return bomb on us.

In his subsequent article, Reynolds proclaimed:

"“Former Bucs head coach Jon Gruden wants to coach in the NFL again.” Then added, “after a 40-minute interview in his office that covered a lot of ground…that was the big takeaway.”"

Perhaps dropping something more subtle than a bomb was Gruden’s plan. Just a casual little toss of bait atop NFL waters—see what bites. The tiniest bug in the ear of the Bucs brain trust in case the team declines is also a possibility. One thing that’s likely not, established big name NFL head coaches wanting to start at the bottom again by choice.

You can’t really fault him for being selective.

Jon Gruden is kickin’ it on that comfy NFL island where few head coaches get to tread. He’s a Super Bowl-winning coach and teams contact him every year to gauge his interest. If you’re the Rams, Browns, Jets or close in their current state this is a waste of time. No head coach worth his salt really wants to move to Cleveland but Los Angeles and New York are great locations. And yet for a coach that’s made it to, or near the top, these front offices are the deterrent. I mean, can you imagine “Chucky” having to deal with the Aaron Donald situation? How about not at least calling Colin Kaepernick for a Jets tryout?

Yes, all things considered, Jon Gruden’s very happy hosting Monday Night Football. What out-of-work football coach wouldn’t be? But as CBS Sports senior writer Will Brinson had stated, it’s “what Gruden has to say, regardless of what his full intention is.” His season with ESPN had a week to go at that time.

Current Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay was said to have had a good word put in by Jon Gruden soon after declining the position. “Advisory role” and “organizational assessment” were spin phrases for something along the lines of “hell no, but I can recommend a guy!” I’m sure. It makes sense that for him, the Rams, Browns and Jets are what the Raiders were early on. Oakland, under the late Al Davis, was the team in which a coach could be forgiven for failing.

Gruden’s just another in a not-so-long line of deserving NFL coaches with such clout. Don’t be offended it they don’t sign on to work sanitation in your city. Whether on leave, or retirement-challenged, they can call their own shots. Pete Carroll and Dick Vermeil, to name a couple, rejected several return opportunities before their power plays succeeded. Vermeil with the same team I recall, Georgia’s Rams, just after they scoffed at signing some guy named Bill Belichick.

Vermeil and the Rams worked out fine despite his 15-year hiatus and the criticism the Rams received reaching back. Jon Gruden’s been out of the NFL for eight years. Eight is fast becoming the new fifteen in the NFL these days.

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As for us Rams fans, we’ll take comfort in knowing that it strongly appears we have our man. Coach McVay won his opportunity over name brand preferences and is impressing everyone from the cafeteria worker to the media. And we don’t even have to wonder if the game’s passed him by.

Gruden might have thought he was letting a deserving youngster cut his teeth with the Los Angeles Rams. However, some already believe the Rams got a prodigy.