Last week, a 2011 email Jon Gruden sent, which included comments about NFLPA president DeMaurice Smith, surfaced.
Gruden wrote, "Dumboriss Smith has lips the size of michellin tires [sic]." He has since apologized publicly and to the Raiders, but it was still a major topic of conversation Sunday.
On ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown, Tedy Bruschi and Randy Moss had strong reactions, including Bruschi calling it racist.
"This may have been 10 years ago, OK, but Jon Gruden's response slash excuse was recent. See, I don't think he understands what he did in that email," Bruschi said. "When you insult a Black man's intelligence by demeaning his appearance, that is racist. That is the only way I know it. That is the only way I was raised. That is racist."
On the show, Adam Schefter detailed how Gruden apologized to his team and afterwards one Black player hugged his coach afterwards to show his support.
"You heard Adam Schefter talking about the one Black player, well, you don't want to say his name, because he's totally wrong in this in not understanding the magnitude of something like this," Moss said. "We're going into the 21st century, OK? And instead of us moving forward, we're moving backwards. And I don't, I really don't know what percentage of the National Football League is Black, but I know it's over 50 percent — 60, 70 percent, OK? And I know we generate a whole lot of money for this National Football League. And for you to hear Adam Schefter talking about some discipline or some distance from [Raiders owner Mark] Davis, the clock is ticking.
"We are watching to see what the National Football League is going to do about this, because I got to just say it: We're trying to move forward going into the 21st century with the National Football League. And you're talking about the kids from 10, 15 years from now that's going to come into the league. What is this showing them? If they're coming in to try to keep this National Football League going, generating all this money, and being this good entertainment for our country. Where are we headed?"
Gruden was asked about it again in his postgame press conference and he said how he apologized to all parties and would like to move forward.
