Jon Gruden Signs Extension with ESPN's 'Monday Night Football' Through 2021

ESPN Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden will continue to be speculated about whenever a head coaching position opens up in the NFL or college. At least on paper, though, Gruden is on television to stay for years to come.

The past Super Bowl champion coach agreed to continue his work at ESPN through 2021, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen:

ESPN executive vice president, programming and production John Wildhack spoke about Gruden's evident intention to stay with the network for the long haul, per ESPNMediaZone.com's Bill Hofheimer:

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Jon has been a game-changer for ESPN and for Monday Night Football, entertaining and engaging fans with his vast knowledge of the game and his dynamic personality. Jon has quickly become one of the premier analysts in all of sports and we're thrilled he's made this long-term commitment. We look forward to having him as part of our NFL presentation for many years to come.

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The network's news release also featured comments from Gruden himself about carrying on with his media career:

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Being a part of Monday Night Football alongside our ESPN crew is a dream job. I love calling big prime-time games every week and spending time with the best players and coaches on the planet, while also finding new ways to teach and talk about football year round. There's no place I'd rather be.

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Matt Williamson of ESPN weighed in on Gruden's new deal:

Gruden, 51, led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to victory in Super Bowl XXXVII against his former team, the Oakland Raiders. In his time with ESPN, he's been a four-time Sports Emmy nominee in the Best Analyst category and has been praised for his show Gruden's QB Camp.

Draft coverage wouldn't be quite the same without SportsCenter cutting to Gruden in his office, talking to some of the top players ready to transition to the pros.

Both Gruden and ESPN appear to be happy with their revamped commitment.

Some will debate whether this contract is set in stone because Gruden could conceivably return to coaching if the proper opportunity presented itself.

ESPN has to realize that, but there's no denying Gruden was worth securing long-term since he has indeed become one of the most visible sports personalities in recent years.