ESPN: Ex-Raiders HC Jon Gruden Could Be Named Saints' OC for Dennis Allen's Staff

Former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden remains a candidate in the New Orleans Saints' search for a new offensive coordinator.

ESPN's Katherine Terrell referenced Gruden on Monday and cited a vague response from general manager Mickey Loomis when asked about about the experienced coach.

Gruden resigned from the Raiders midway through the 2021 season after emails surfaced in which he had used racist, anti-gay and misogynistic remarks. He subsequently filed a lawsuit alleging the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell "sought to destroy" his career "through a malicious and orchestrated campaign."

The litigation remains ongoing, raising questions over his viability as a target for the Saints, which is to say nothing of the optics behind hiring him given the circumstances of his Las Vegas exit.

There's also the fact the 60-year-old has been out of the league for two-and-a-half seasons. That's on top of the 10 years he was out of coaching before taking the Raiders job in 2018.

Writing a postmortem of the Gruden era for Las Vegas, ESPN's Bill Barnwell was at least complimentary of his work on offense and said he "did a solid job" of running the unit.

Maybe the Super Bowl winner is suited for a more limited role on an NFL sideline, but he arguably doesn't stand out as a can't-miss coordinator option. One can't help but wonder if Gruden would be worth the hassle given the baggage he'd inevitably bring.