Jon Gruden may have given his biggest hint yet that he's leaving the Monday Night Football booth to coach the Raiders next season: he went after ESPN colleague Stephen A. Smith.
ESPN NFL insiders Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen have reported Gruden will return to the Raiders in 2018, leading them into their move to Las Vegas. In an interview Wednesday with ESPN Radio's "Golic and Wingo," Gruden denied those reports –– while praising Schefter and Mortensen's professionalism.
"There's no truth to that at all," Gruden told hosts Mike Golic and Trey Wingo, per Philly.com. "But I appreciate Adam's and Chris' confidence that I have a chance of getting that job. It's awful nice of them."
Gruden abandoned his respectable tone when he took on Smith, however. On "First Take," Smith exclaimed Gruden is unworthy of an ownership stake in the Raiders, which reportedly has been discussed.
"Jon Gruden does not deserve an ownership stake in an NFL franchise," Smith shrieked. "Not unless he's coming out of pocket with his own money and investing and they vet you and let you in. He does not deserve to have an ownership stake in a franchise. It should not be allowed. … It shouldn't even be brought to the table."
In a telltale sign that Gruden might be out at ESPN, he mocked Smith's hot take. "I heard Stephen Smith screaming at me on TV yesterday on one of his shows," Gruden said. "There's no validity to that at all. None, zero. That's a nice segment that I saw, but no, no ownership, that's for sure."
Gruden is still slated to call this weekend's AFC wild card game between the Chiefs and Titans on ESPN alongside Sean McDonough, Lisa Salters and Adam Schefter.
