Jon Gruden admits to taking potshots at NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in a string of offensive emails

Jon Gruden has been in the news recently, and not for a good reason. Gruden has led the Las Vegas Raiders to a 3-1 start. But he's been engulfed in controversy as a result of emails sent to NFL Players Association Executive director DeMaurice Smith in 2011.

It was revealed on Sunday that Jon Gruden also sent vulgar emails to Roger Goodell in 2011. In 2011, the NFL was amidst a lockout that threatened the season from taking place.

Gruden was working for ESPN as a Monday Night Football announcer at the time. Jon Gruden let Roger Goodell know his feelings about the lockout.

Jon Gruden sent potshots about Commissioner Goodell in emails

Jon Gruden opened up to ESPN on Friday night about what he said to Goodell in his emails. The Raiders coach said,

“I was in a bad frame of mind at the time (in 2011) and I called Roger Goodell a (expletive) in one of these emails, too,” “They were keeping players and coaches from doing what they love with a lockout. There also were a lot of things being reported publicly about the safety of the sport that I love. I was on a mission with high school football (in the Tampa area) during that time and there were a lot of parents who were scared about letting their kids play football. It just didn’t sit well with me.”

It's unknown exactly how many emails were sent from Jon Gruden to Goodell. But Gruden told ESPN that he's aware of there being five to seven emails that were flagged by the league.

The report comes two days after Gruden's racist comments towards Smith emerged. In that email, Gruden said,

“Dumboriss Smith has lips the size of michellin [sic] tires.”

Jon Gruden addressed the emails with his team.

Since these reports came out, Jon Gruden has had no choice but to address the matter to his team. The 58-year-old head coach has tried to apologize and has tried unsuccessfully to reach out to Smith. There's no way around it, this is a massive distraction for the Raiders locker room.

The Raiders will face the Chicago Bears in Week 5 and are looking to get back on the winning track. But this is a story Jon Gruden won't be able to get away from. Time will tell what, if any, fallout comes from this story.