The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a controversial move through a reinstatement in the Buccaneers Ring of Honor. You might be wondering what is so surprising — but since it involves an ever-divisive former head coach, the juice is definitely worth the squeeze in this instance.
Four years after removing him from their Ring of Honor, and eight years since his initial selection, the Buccaneers decided to reinstate Jon Gruden into the prestigious group. What went wrong for Gruden that led to his removal, and what changed to bring him back?
How Did Jon Gruden Get Reinstated in the Buccaneers’ Ring of Honor?
During his stint as the Buccaneers’ head coach from 2002 to 2008, Gruden compiled a 57-55 record. While that’s nothing to scoff at, he was responsible for the team’s first Super Bowl championship, leading the team to a ring in 2002.
In a social media post, Tampa Bay made his reinstatement official, citing his contributions to the squad.
“Jon Gruden was initially inducted into the Buccaneers Ring of Honor based on his many accomplishments during his seven seasons as our head coach and he remains a significant figure in the history of our franchise. Upon further reflection, we have decided to reinstate him into the Buccaneers Ring of Honor.”
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) February 27, 2025
This comes just months after he first showed his face in Tampa, Fla., during their regular season victory over the San Francisco 49ers. Back then, he was invited by the Glazer family, the owners of the ball club, to attend the game with them in their suite.
Adam Schefter revealed that the two sides have been trying to sort out their differences ever since both parties met at the celebration of life event of former defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin.
The Tampa Bay ownership group was “touched by a story told by Monte’s son, Lane Kiffin. It revolved around Monte’s strong belief in giving people second chances. From there, things warmed up between the two sides and led to Gruden attending a game last season and sitting in the Glazer’s suite.”
His reinstatement comes after a four-year period where he wasn’t a member of the group thanks to his email scandal while serving as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021.
Why Was Gruden Removed From the Ring of Honor?
In October 2021, The New York Times and The Washington Post uncovered emails from Gruden and subsequently released a report. Within them, the former Bucs head coach had made racist, misogynistic, and homophobic comments. It ultimately led to his resignation as Las Vegas’ head coach and removal from the Bucs’ Ring of Honor.
Since then, he has not been associated with the NFL in an official capacity except as a consultant to the New Orleans Saints. In November 2024, he signed a multi-year deal with Barstool Sports.
In his emails, Gruden made racist remarks against then-NFLPA director Maurice Smith before targeting his attention to female officials. Additionally, he even made comments that were regarded as homophobic and anti-gay toward the then-St. Louis Rams for drafting Michael Sam, who was the first publicly gay player to be drafted in the NFL.
At the time, Gruden himself had an openly gay player on his roster, Carl Nassib. Immediately, Tampa Bay rescinded his spot within the group, releasing a statement regarding the action.
“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have advocated for purposeful change in the areas of race relations, gender equality, diversity and inclusion for many years. While we acknowledge Jon Gruden’s contributions on the field, his actions go against our core values as an organization.”