Another NFL Black Monday is upon us, which means two things.
1. There will be open coaching jobs.
2. Jon Gruden will be mentioned as a possible replacement for some of them.
We’ve already seen it play out this year when sources told our own Charles Robinson that Gruden was a “focal point” for a starstruck Los Angeles Rams team that’s looking to replace Jeff Fisher. Gruden quickly moved to squash the talk, citing his happiness with ESPN and Monday Night Football, where he’s worked as the color commentator since 2009.
Still, something tells me that no one’s going to believe Gruden doesn’t want another NFL job until he’s pushing for Social Security. And considering he’s only 53 right now, we might have to go through a decade more of Black Mondays before some people*come around to realizing it.
Now, there are many reasons Gruden doesn’t want to leave ESPN. The schedule and stress are lighter in television than coaching, ESPN gave him a great opportunity after he was fired by Tampa Bay in 2008, he gets to talk football with people all over the league and he’s become quite good at it.
Oh, and he already has a Super Bowl trophy on his resume so there’s no real white whale calling him back to the sidelines.
But while all of those do add up to Gruden being happy, none of it surpasses the simple equation that is likely at the base of his*decision to stay put.
And that equation is this: Gruden is*making just as much money in the booth and leaving it would jeopardize many more years of well-compensated security.
Gruden’s contract with ESPN, which goes through 2021, reportedly pays him a network-high $6.5 million per season, just shy of the $7-8 million top NFL coaches are garnering right now. His lighter schedule also gives him plenty of time to do a full slate of endorsements, which undoubtedly add up to millions more.
So even if the Rams or another team came calling at, say, million, is he really going to agree to a five-year contract? Especially knowing that coaches are hired to be fired and that his ESPN job — which he could do into his 70s — probably won’t be there if he wants to come back?

Not a chance. Gruden can still cash hundreds of millions in checks if he continues talking football on television. All of that goes away, though, the minute he decides to coach again.
While a lot of us would love to see Gruden back coaching — especially since most of today’s coaches show as much personality as a kicking tee — it’s not hard to see why it’ll never happen.
Jon Gruden makes a reported $6.5 million per year at ESPN. (AP) *
*