Jon Gruden is sounding off again, and this time his frustration isn’t aimed at a team or a player. The former Raiders head coach is calling for the NFL to eliminate Thursday night games, arguing the short weeks are unfair to both players and coaches.
Why Does Jon Gruden Want the NFL to End Thursday Games?
For years, fans, coaches, and especially players have criticized Thursday Night Football, pointing to two significant problems.
Former Super Bowl-winning head coach turned analyst Gruden addressed the issue on “Wake Up Barstool Live” on FS1 Monday afternoon. He made his stance clear: “No preparation, no time to recover, no chance. Get rid of these Thursday night games! Dump them! It’s not fair to the players, it’s not fair to the coaches.”
“No preparation, no time to recover, no chance. Get rid of these Thursday night games! Dump them! It’s not fair to the players, it’s not fair to the coaches.” – Jon Gruden pic.twitter.com/6gvPxiz5A2
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 10, 2025
The first problem is preparation. On a typical week, NFL teams play on Sundays, giving them seven days to prepare. That includes Monday meetings and film study, three full practices from Wednesday through Friday, and a walkthrough plus travel on Saturday.
In a Thursday game week, that schedule is shortened. Teams still hold Monday meetings and film review, but usually only get one lighter practice on Tuesday before doing their walkthrough and traveling on Wednesday. By game time, players and coaches have less opportunity to prepare, which often leads to mistakes, limited creativity from play callers, and lower-scoring games.
The second issue is recovery. Football is a physically demanding sport, and players take a significant toll on their bodies every game. Without a whole week to rest and recover, these star athletes arrive at Thursday’s games worn down, carrying injuries and fatigue. That combination slows performance, increases the risk of injury, and often prevents players from performing at their best.
The last few Thursday nights have made this clear. In Week 8, the Chargers pummeled the Vikings 37-10, despite Minnesota ranking 6th in PFSN’s Defensive Impact Meter. Then, in Week 9, the Ravens took out the Dolphins 28-6, starting the trend of uninspiring Thursday night matchups.
For Gruden, the Week 10 Thursday night matchup between the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders was the icing on the cake. A 10-7 finish, marked by dropped passes, poor tackling, and sloppy special teams, reinforced his point: get rid of these Thursday night games.
This coming Thursday night, the 2-7 New York Jets take on the AFC East leaders, the 8-2 New England Patriots, in Foxborough. Fans will be watching closely, hoping the divisional rivals can end the uneventful stretch and deliver an entertaining Thursday night showdown.