Jon Gruden has been away from the head coach chair for about half a decade, but his return may finally be here. A familiar voice from his days with the silver and black has reopened the conversation. That voice belongs to Darren Waller, now catching passes for the Miami Dolphins down in South Beach. Speaking on the Up & Adams show, he made Gruden’s mindset crystal clear.

“Oh yeah, Gruden wants another job,” Waller said. “I feel like he’s still got the passion and energy to do so. I’d suit up with Gru any day. We had a good run together. But yeah, he’s somebody that definitely wants to coach. Loves ball, loves his guys. I really hope he gets another chance.”

While Gruden appears to be keen on joining a new team, his legal cloud refuses to clear. A Las Vegas judge has denied the NFL’s latest attempt to dismiss the case, while the Nevada Supreme Court’s unanimous 7–0 ruling ensures Gruden’s lawsuit will move forward through public discovery. Until that courtroom battle concludes, any serious NFL comeback talk is likely to remain stuck in neutral.

Despite the legal side of things, an opportunity has clearly presented itself in Atlanta. The Falcons are hunting for a new leader, with interviews lined up across the league. They have spoken with Kevin Stefanski, Klint Kubiak, and Anthony Weaver. At the same time, Arizona is also open, as the Cardinals continue talks with Kubiak, Thomas Brown, Matt Nagy, and Raheem Morris.

The Ravens are searching too, with Kubiak and Weaver on their list. Similarly, in Cleveland, the Browns are casting a wide net, as they have talked with Todd Monken, Aden Durde, Tommy Rees, and Dan Pitcher as they look for stability.

Since his exit from Las Vegas, Jon Gruden has never fully drifted away from the game. He consulted with the New Orleans Saints in 2023 and later took on a dual role as part-owner and consultant for the Nashville Kats, keeping his coaching footprint alive even without an NFL sideline badge.

Then there are the Raiders, who have always held a special bond with Gruden. A Raiders reunion would be pure full-circle territory for Jon Gruden. Across two stints, he compiled a 38-26 record from 1998 to 2001 that produced two playoff trips and an AFC Championship Game appearance. That early success is still the strongest sustained stretch of Raiders football this century. A return would be a chance for Gruden to rewrite the ending of a second stint that ended in legal controversy.

The Raiders team is once again without a head coach, and Allegiant Stadium is waiting for direction. Their list includes Kubiak, Nagy, Vance Joseph, and Davis Webb. On top of that, the New York Giants are exploring every option possible, from Stefanski and Mike Kafka to Kliff Kingsbury, Lou Anarumo, Mike McCarthy, and Raheem Morris. The Titans have also reached out to various names with a similar predicament.

Suffice it to say that if Jon Gruden becomes available, interest will not be backing. In fact, it might be waiting for him.

NFL Insider believes Gruden’s return is on the cards

On a recent ESPN segment, Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano put Jon Gruden’s name right back into the mix. They labeled him as one of the most intriguing coaches not currently tied to a team. Graziano admitted the coaching market feels thin right now, especially at the top. Still, Gruden’s name came up anyway, which says plenty.

Fowler echoed that thought and added context. He explained that teams could easily circle back to Gruden if his legal situation clears up. On top of that, Fowler pointed to a lack of strong offensive minds available and reminded everyone that Gruden’s fingerprints are still on today’s NFL.

“It wouldn’t shock me if teams wanted to speak with Gruden, assuming his lawsuit will reach a conclusion at some point,” Fowler said. “In a year with limited offensive options, this would be the time. His imprint is still all over the NFL coaching landscape.”

Still, there is a catch, as Gruden’s road back is not simple. He stepped down in October 2021 after old emails surfaced, creating league-wide backlash and ending his run with the silver and black. Those legal matters still hang over him.

Until that clears, teams will tread carefully. For now, the interest is real, but the questions remain. So, let’s see where this goes next.