The Oakland Raiders have hired Jon Gruden, but he won’t be bringing New York Jets offensive coordinator John Morton to Oakland with him.
The Oakland Raiders have brought Jon Gruden back to the organization, as they will announce him on Jan. 9 in a press conference, according to Steve Corkran at Raiders Snake Pit in a tweet.
Breaking: Jon Gruden will be introduced as the #Raiders head coach Tuesday, in a "splashy" news conference, I was informed by a team source.
— Steve Corkran (@CorkOnTheNFL) January 5, 2018
Gruden was previously the Raiders head coach from 1998-2001, before being traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the 2001 season. He won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay in 2002, staying as head coach before being fired in 2008. He was hired in May 2009 by ESPN as a color commentator for Monday Night Football, a role he held through last season.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter via Twitter, the contract is 10 years for $100 million, which is the longest contract ever for an NFL head coach.
Raiders are giving new head coach Jon Gruden a 10-year contract, the longest coaching deal in NFL history, sources tell ESPN. The deal is likely to be worth about $100 million.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 5, 2018
Gruden has already lined up Greg Olson as his offensive coordinator, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network via Twitter.
#Raiders coach Jon Gruden has 3 key hires already in place: #Rams QB coach Greg Olson as OC, #Bengals DC Paul Guenther as DC, #Cowboys special teams coach Rich Bisaccia as ST.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 5, 2018
This is helpful news for the New York Jets, as it means John Morton is likely to stay with the team. Morton has done a great job as offensive coordinator, although according to Robby Sabo at ESNY, may not fit into the long-term plans.
Gruden previously had his eyes on Morton, according to ESNY’s Paul Esden. Morton helped Josh McCown to a great season, in which he produced the second highest passer rating of his career. Additionally, he oversaw a strong rushing attack led by Bilal Powell and Elijah McGuire.
In fact, they were so good that Paul Esden made an argument that the team should move on from Matt Forte to clear the path for them.
The Jets are in a position to draft a quarterback with the sixth pick in the draft or find their man via free agency. Additionally, he should get number one wide receiver Quincy Enunwa back from injury. If Morton returns, the team should see continued offensive success.
