Redskins' Jay Gruden: 'If We Don't Make the Playoffs, I Probably' Won't Return

Washington head coach Jay Gruden has no illusions about his future if he fails to lead his team to the postseason this year.

"If we don't make the playoffs, I probably won't be here anyways," he said, laughing, per John Keim of ESPN.com.

Gruden said it while cracking to reporters that he'd rather not do HBO's Hard Knocks this year and that the Oakland Raiders—coached by his brother Jon Gruden—would be the more compelling choice:

Washington is the favorite to appear on the show this season.

There was truth in the remarks Gruden made about his own future. In his five seasons as Washington's head coach the team has gone just 35-44-1 and only reached the postseason once, after going 9-7 in 2015. 

Under Gruden, the team has never won 10 or more games. And after back-to-back seven-win seasons, it's hard to imagine the head coach isn't sitting on a very hot seat.

It certainly wasn't clear if Gruden would be retained for the 2019 season.

"My job is in jeopardy every week," he said after losing to the New York Giants, 40-16, in early December, per Finlay. 

But Gruden was given another year, perhaps his last, to turn the ship around in Washington. Given the stakes, Washington would make a compelling choice for Hard Knocks, even if Gruden would rather see his brother saddled with the program instead.