Can Jon Gruden Reinvent Himself on Play-by-Play?

Get ready for an explosion of “Spider 2 Y Banana” as Jon Gruden returns to the NFL broadcast booth.

According to Fox Sports’s Greg Auman, the Super Bowl-winning coach and former ESPN Monday Night Football analyst is slated to call a Buccaneers preseason game next month. In a fascinating twist, Gruden wants to handle play-by-play as opposed to his traditional role as a color analyst.

“I was a broadcaster for nine years; hell’s bells. I want to be play-by-play,” Gruden said on The Ira Kaufman Podcast earlier this week. “You know, Frank Gifford, he transitioned into the play-by-play role. I would like to transition. I had nine years of watching these guys—[Mike] Tirico. And I’d like to give that a shot, man.”

We don’t know if this will be a one-shot deal. But at first blush, I like this idea. Gruden doing play-by-play could be one of the most interesting experiments of the new NFL season. 

Can you imagine an unleashed Chucky doing play-by-play? It could be the most gonzo experiment in NFL broadcasting since the late, great ABC producer Don Ohlmeyer hired comedian Dennis Miller for MNF in 2000. 

I don’t see Gruden mimicking Tirico. Instead, I would expect him to deliver a blend of play-by-play, analysis, and strong opinion. 

After winning a Super Bowl with the Bucs at age 39, Gruden has nothing to lose and everything to gain by trying to re-enter broadcasting.

He’s been out of coaching since 2021. The 62-year-old is currently suing the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell, alleging they launched a “malicious and orchestrated campaign” to destroy his career while coaching the Raiders from 2018-2021.

Combine that lawsuit with the leaking of racist, misogynistic, and homophobic emails, and a potential return to the NFL faces plenty of hurdles. But I could see him launching a second career as a college football coach or broadcaster. It would be a fresh start. He’d bring instant gravitas to any school or announcing crew.

Remember, Gruden was a very good NFL analyst during the early part of his nine year MNF run from 2009-2017. He was ESPN’s highest-paid employee at that point, making almost $7 million a year. It was only at the end that Gruden, while calling one dog game after another on MNF’s weak schedule, began to rely more on shtick. 

Since joining Barstool Sports in 2024, Gruden has had something of a renaissance. He flirted with Aaron Glenn’s Jets over an assistant coaching job. Ala Bill Belichick, he’s publicly signaled his interest in college coaching opportunities. “I want to coach again. I’d die to coach in the SEC. I would love it. I would fucking love it,” Gruden said during a visit with the Georgia Bulldogs last year.

Barstool boss Dave Portnoy fully expects him to return to coaching at some point. “I would be stunned if he’s not an NFL coach at some time again,” he told Shannon Sharpe on the Club Shay Shay podcast. “I don’t think it’s going to be, like, tomorrow, but the guy eats, lives, breathes football. So I think that’s what he loves.”

As pointed out by Gruden, Gifford was a guy who could do it all on TV. The Giants’ Hall of Fame running back handled play-by-play for MNF before making way for Al Michaels and transitioning to game analyst in 1986. Gifford was on the call for the epic MNF showdown on Dec. 2, 1985, where the Dolphins ended the Bears’ undefeated season. His two analysts that night at the Orange Bowl? Try O.J. Simpson and Joe Namath (You can watch Gifford’s game intro here).

The question about Gruden returning to TV is the same question surrounding any ex-coach. Will he let it fly, criticize players and coaches, and be brutally honest? Or will he play it safe as he seeks a return to the sideline sub rosa? Either way, any network that hires Gruden will get plenty of attention.

As ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio wrote on Tuesday: “Let’s find out if he’s got the chops. Someone should hire him for a low-level college game and see what he can do. Good, bad, or ugly, it would definitely generate more viewers than the telecast would otherwise attract.”

Bingo.