Jon Gruden may be making his return to the NFL and the Buccaneers and it looks like he’ll be coaching against his brother if that happens.
The Redskins are on the list of Tampa’s 2018 opponents and Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the team is not planning to part ways with Jay Gruden. The younger Gruden brother is in his fourth season in Washington and the team can finish 8-8 with a win over the Giants on Sunday.
Per Rapoport, any dissatisfaction with the team’s record is tempered by a “deep understanding” of the toll injuries took on the roster this season. Former NFL exec Michael Lombardi also passes along word that the team is trying to extend members of Gruden’s staff, which serves as further evidence that no big changes are coming.
There had been word of interest from the Bengals in bringing their former offensive coordinator back to replace Marvin Lewis, but a trade seems highly unlikely if the Redskins are going to invest more on coaches from Gruden’s staff.
Gruden’s future wasn’t as highly scrutinized as that of many other coaches around the league and it’s been discussed far less than quarterback Kirk Cousins’ future in Washington. That question will take longer to answer, although Gruden’s made his opinion clear.