Raiders' Mark Davis Expresses Frustration with How NFL Handled Jon Gruden Emails

Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis is unhappy with the NFL over its handling of the Jon Gruden emails that resulted in him resigning as head coach. 

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Davis called the situation a "timing issue" with the NFL. He noted the league may have had the emails for months, and it would have been easier for the organization if it had known sooner. 

On Oct. 8, in a report from Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal, Gruden used a racial trope to describe DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association, in a 2011 email to then-Washington Football Team president Bruce Allen. Gruden was employed by ESPN as a TV analyst at the time the email was sent.

Three days later, Ken Belson and Katherine Rosman of the New York Times reviewed a series of emails Gruden sent between 2011-18 to Allen and others in which he used anti-gay, sexist and racist language. 

In the emails, Gruden "denounced the emergence of women as referees, the drafting of a gay player and the tolerance of players protesting during the playing of the national anthem," per Belson and Rosman.

The emails were uncovered by the NFL as part of its investigation into Washington amid allegations of sexual harassment, verbal abuse and other misconduct in the workplace. 

Per ESPN's Seth Wickersham, Goodell told the 32 NFL team owners at the owners meetings on Wednesday that the league didn't leak the emails. 

Wickersham noted Davis didn't accuse the commissioner of leaking the emails. 

Gruden resigned as Raiders head coach on Oct. 11. He originally signed a 10-year, $100 million contract in 2018 to return to the organization as head coach.

Rich Bisaccia, who has been on Gruden's staff since 2018, was named interim head coach.