Darren Waller did not deliver a recruiting pitch so much as a reminder: Jon Gruden still has believers among Las Vegas Raiders fans, and not just in the comment sections.
On Kay Adams’ “Up & Adams,” the former Raiders tight end said Gruden “wants another job,” calling it “a fact,” and adding that he would “suit up with Gru any day.” Waller’s point was not subtle. He credits Gruden with changing the direction of his career, and he spoke the way former players often do when they feel a coach saw them clearly before the league did.
Waller’s endorsement lands in Las Vegas because fans remember what they saw: the best version of him, week after week, in Gruden’s offense. That is why the reaction is not just about nostalgia. It is about clarity. If the Raiders keep cycling through “new starts,” some fans will naturally ask why they would not return to the last period that at least felt organized.
That is where the conversation runs into a hard stop. Whatever people think of the football, Gruden’s exit is still the headline. He resigned in October 2021 after reports about offensive emails, and he has remained in litigation tied to his departure. Those facts sit on top of any coaching discussion and make a reunion far more complicated than a former player’s endorsement.
The timing is no accident for Jon Gruden…
The Raiders are once again paying for turnover, literally and figuratively. As the latest coaching cycle spins up, reports and estimates about buyouts and dead money for past staffs have become part of the public framing of what instability costs. That is why a Waller quote can feel bigger than a quote. It speaks to a fan base that is tired of “new direction” press conferences and is increasingly open to any solution that looks like conviction, even if it comes with baggage.
Waller offered the cleanest case for a messy idea: Gruden still wants to coach, and at least one former Raider would run it back tomorrow. The Raiders’ question is whether wanting something—from Gruden, from fans, from the past—is the same as being able to do it.
*Top Photo: D. Ross Cameron/Associated Press