Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden has a way in delivering a statement and still draw to his good sense of humor. He displayed that rare ability when discussing the possibility of his Redskins appearing on HBO’s Hard Knocks series.
Most believe that HBO’s choice of NFL teams to pick this year boils down to the Redskins and the Oakland Raiders, who are coached by Jay’s older brother Jon Gruden. It’s clear Jay doesn’t want to appear, dropping a tidbit for the powers that be to think about.
“If they were smart, they would go to Oakland,” per Tarik El-Bashir of the Athletic.
“I mean seriously, what an entertainment value that would be,” Gruden said. “Antonio Brown. Jon Gruden. Paul Guenther. Vontaze Burfict. [Richie] Incognito — these guys would be crazy not to go to Oakland.
“They could do us next year, maybe.”
JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington noted “Not if you make the playoffs.”
Gruden responded by saying, “If we don’t, I probably won’t be here anyway! They can come all they want!”
Gruden’s response brought laughter in the room, yet it may very well hold true. He understands entering his sixth year with just one playoff game the need to win is imperative even with potentially starting a rookie quarterback.
Gruden is no different than most NFL coaches who would prefer not to be part of the show, allowing outsiders into the closed doors of the team. A decision is imminent on who to select, and odds are there will be a Gruden on HBO. Whether or not it’s Jay or Jon remains to be seen.
