Jacksonville Jaguars former offensive coordinator Jay Gruden and former Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette are trading blows nearly six years after they went their separate ways.
Just before the 2020 NFL season kicked off, Jacksonville released the 2017 No. 4 overall pick after Fournette had just eclipsed 1,650 total yards. Fournette spoke about the puzzling situation on his podcast “4th and South,” where he did not mince words about Gruden.
Now, Jon Gruden’s brother has responded and revealed that he wanted the Jaguars to select Justin Jefferson with one of the team’s first-round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Jay Gruden Reacts to Leonard Fournette’s Claims, Reveals Interest in Justin Jefferson
From Fournette’s perspective, Gruden played him and was a pivotal piece in his unforeseen exit from Jacksonville.
Originally, it was suggested that undrafted rookie James Robinson had outperformed Fournette in camp and earned the starting job. Fournette, who went on to become a Super Bowl champion with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, did not buy it and explained things from his perspective.
“We didn’t see eye to eye at all,” Fournette said on his podcast. “To me, he was somebody that was kind of hard to read… I’m just being real, he’s a fu**ing a**hole.
“To do all that and to find out afterward, years later, that he didn’t want me there, that’s kind of… that’s a shi**y situation.”
Gruden, who was Jacksonville’s offensive coordinator, recently took to X to respond to Fournette: “Damn. Leonard. If anyone listened to me we would of taken Justin Jefferson with one of our two first round picks:)”
Damn. Leonard. If anyone listened to me we would of taken Justin Jefferson with one of our two first round picks 🙂 pic.twitter.com/6q0WNFoTvi
— Jay Gruden (@Coach_JayGruden) May 27, 2026
The somewhat cryptic response seems to indicate that Gruden did want Fournette in a Jaguars uniform and that he didn’t have as much say over the team’s decision-making as Fournette thinks. According to Gruden, if he did had more power, the team would’ve selected Jefferson with one of the team’s first-round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.
In 2020, Jacksonville selected CB C.J. Henderson and OLB K’Lavon Chaisson with the ninth and 20th overall picks, respectively. Jefferson also went in the first round at No. 22 overall, meaning the Jaguars had not one but two chances to take the superstar receiver.
It will be interesting to see how Fournette responds to Gruden’s post. While Fournette is clearly still salty about how his Jaguars stint came to an end, it arguably ended up being the best thing that could’ve happened for him. The two-time 1,000-yard rusher joined the Buccaneers, playing a pivotal part in helping the team win the Super Bowl in 2021.
That season, Fournette rushed for 812 yards, nabbed 10 total touchdowns, and racked up 450 receiving yards. After his stint with the Bucs came to an end, Fournette joined the Buffalo Bills in 2023, playing just two games there. He has not been signed since.
Regardless of who is right or wrong in the Fournette-Gruden fallout, it is interesting to think about how differently things could have been if the running back had stayed in Jacksonville.
