Jon Gruden lawsuit over NFL leaked emails case gets major update from Nevada Supreme Court

Jon Gruden may be inching closer to clearing his name. The Nevada supreme court on Monday ruled that Gruden's lawsuit alleging that the NFL improperly leaked emails that led to his firing could proceed in civil court rather than being settled in an arbitration hearing.

Gruden resigned as the coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021 after emails that contained racist and homophobic remarks, mainly directed towards the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell, were leaked. The emails were sent during his time as an analyst for ESPN.

In his lawsuit, Gruden alleged that the NFL had pressured the Raiders to fire him by improperly leaking the emails. The league filed an appeal in 2022 in an attempt to dismiss Gruden’s lawsuit or have it settled in an arbitration hearing where the arbiter could be appointed by Goodell.

On Monday, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled in his favor by a vote of 5-2, saying that the matter could proceed in civil court.

Don Van Natta Jr.

@DVNJr

The Nevada Supreme Court has ruled in favor of Jon Gruden in his appeal against the NFL. That means Gruden will get discovery and his day in court alleging that Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL improperly leaked his emails, leading to his firing as Raiders head coach.

Gruden's legal counsel Adam Hosmer-Henner commented:

"We're very pleased with the Nevada Supreme Court's decision, not just for Coach Gruden but for all employees facing an employer's unfair arbitration process. This victory further vindicates Coach Gruden's reputation, and it clears the way to swiftly bringing him full justice and holding the NFL accountable."

A league spokesperson declined to respond when asked about the development by USA Today.

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Jon Gruden snubs NFL, eyes SEC in potential coaching return

Earlier this year, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who won their first-ever Super Bowl under Jon Gruden, announced that they were restoring his name to their Ring of Honor. However, even with this gesture of goodwill, he may be eyeing coaching opportunities elsewhere - specifically in college.

On the latest episode of his Barstool Sports-produced YouTube series "Inside the FFCA," he shared a preference for joining the SEC.

“I’m being honest with you. I do not bullsh** either," he said (timestamp: 18:03). "I want to coach again. I’d die to coach in the SEC. I would love it. I would f***ing love it. I’ll let you guys this… what I know about the SEC is it’s getting harder. The SEC is getting harder. They tell me Texas is in the SEC. They tell me Oklahoma is in the SEC. G**damn.”

ESPN's Peter Burns, however, feels Gruden would be better suited to Virginia Tech in the ACC, as early as 2026.

Peter Burns

@PeterBurnsESPN

Virginia Tech HC Jon Gruden just seems so right for 2026.

The Hokies have gone 16-21, including 1-1 in bowl play, under Brent Pry so far.