Checking in around the AFC West, former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden isn’t endearing himself this weekend with Raider Nation. Oh, and Chargers star pass rusher Joey Bosa discusses Jim Harbaugh—a chance for a “fresh start.”
If there’s one thing you can’t deny about Raiders fans, it’s their undying loyalty for the Silver and Black. Just as important, they have an uncompromisable hatred for the rest of the AFC West—especially when we talk about the Kansas City Chiefs. This isn’t just relegated to fans arguing online—the players themselves are no strangers to it and are quite public about it. We even had a Raiders player go viral due to a certain Muppets character.
That being said, Gruden might’ve added another layer this weekend.
I get it that he’s buddies with Andy, but this is a BAD LOOK, man.
He understands fully well, more than most, what this message is. #RaiderNation https://t.co/7jpp6zUKqL— Murf (@_Murf) August 4, 2024
AFC West: Former Raiders coach makes appearance at Chiefs camp
Gruden and Chiefs head coach Andy Reid share roots with the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers. They both come from the legendary Bill Walsh coaching tree, in case you didn’t know. It’s worth noting that former coaches frequently attend camps, including Norv Turner, who has visited the Raiders this offseason.
Also, a tip: almost any guest coach that comes to practice dresses in Chiefs gear so not a shock to see Gruden in uniform with all of the other coaches and personnel…
— PJ Green (@ByPJGreen) August 4, 2024
However, fans believe that this situation is unique. After all, these are the Chiefs. At the end of the day, Gruden loves football and is still making his presence known—maybe we just really need football back so Raiders fans can point their anger elsewhere.
Chargers star Joey Bosa believes the Chargers have a chance at a fresh start…
The Raiders aren’t the only team out West who are turning a page. The Los Angeles Chargers made a massive splash this offseason when they hired Jim Harbaugh. Fresh off leading Michigan back to national glory, he’ll be looking to lead the Chargers to relevance that extends beyond offseason hype.
Joey Bosa, a player who’s seen his team consistently fall short of expectations, buys into what Harbaugh is selling.
“I just feel a new drive, a new motivation with everything that’s changing around here. It’s a fresh start, but it’s not a fresh start; I’m still with the same team; you know we’re moving to L.A.; we got the new facility; we got the new staff. So, this is me, fresh baby Joey going into Year 9.”
While speaking with league insider Tom Pelissero, you can tell Bosa is looking forward to what this new coaching staff will bring out in him. Objectively, Bosa has seen a steep decline in his production—though a lot of that is due to his health and consequent injuries. In the last two years, he has only managed nine starts, a significant decrease from his dominating 2021 campaign. We’ll have to wait and see if the Chargers’ training staff can see some semblance of improvement after injuries have plagued the team the last few years.
*Top Photo: Getty Images
Raiders Aren’t Backing Down From Chiefs In New AFC West Landscape