LBS- In an interview with Jarrett Bell of USA TODAY on Tuesday, the Raiders head coach hinted that he would walk away from his ten-year, $100 million deal with the team if he is unable to meet expectations.
“If I can’t get it done, I’m not going to take their money,” Gruden declared. “Who guarantees I’m going to live 10 years?” he continued. “So I don’t think about that. You start thinking about a 10-year contract – people don’t know how it’s structured and it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is, ‘Is Khalil Mack going to be here? Is Donald Penn going to be ready to play?’ I’ve got more important things to worry about than eight years of my contract.” ------ As experienced and enthusiastic a talker as Jon Gruden typically is, this quote leaves me hoping he does fulfill the entirety of his asinine contract that would have to defy indefensible odds to prove a worthy investment, if only because it will keep him out of the field of suicide prevention. I'm not going to sit here and tell you I'm proficient in giving people peace of mind, but even the most morbid of cynic could have offered the Raiders' faithful something more assuring than "don't worry, I could always die!". Also, I'm not exactly sure what Jon Gruden's definition of "getting the job done" entails, but considering the implication that his soul's ascension from Earth would be his most likely failure, I think his standards are slightly easier to fulfill than that of the soon-to-be relocating franchise that has quite a bit staked in surpassing expectations. It seems odd that we're talking about the NFL's richest retread getting canned before he's even started his first training camp. However, since we are, I think it's fair to state that neither he or his agent would have cast a decade long deal worth nine figures on the nose if they were merely a few 6-10 seasons away from letting the team that bit on it off the hook. The Raiders should be hung out to dry and put on display for handing out an irresponsible contract to a head coach who, based on nothing more than his extended absence from the sidelines, has long been better in theory than in practice. It's true that you can't take it with you, but - win, lose, or withdrawal - Jon Gruden should absolutely be trying to. Especially if, for whatever reason, he's grimly got one foot in the grave prior to moving to Las Vegas.
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