Getty Former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the worst offenses in the NFL, which has led many fans to call for the firing of offensive coordinator Matt Canada. The problem with firing Canada is finding a capable replacement.
However, there could be a big name out there who would be a fit. Steelers reporter Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette floated former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden
“Way too early to speculate. But a good one would be a [Mike] Tomlin friend — Jon Gruden,” Dulac said when asked who could be a replacement for Canada in an October 11 chat.
Gruden has won a Super Bowl as a head coach so stepping down to be an assistant could be an issue for him. However, in three full seasons as the Raiders head coach from 2018 to 2020, he didn’t have a single winning season. He then resigned during the 2021 season but the team appeared to be heading in the wrong direction.
Gruden has a strong offensive mind and could make sense for a team with a defensive-minded head coach like the Steelers. Gruden could completely own the offense while Tomlin handles the team as a whole. This may be a really strong addition for Pittsburgh to consider making.
New Orleans Saints Could Be Team to Watch for Jon Gruden
The Steelers may not be the only team that ends up showing interest in Jon Gruden if he’s willing to be an offensive coordinator. The New Orleans Saints had Gruden help out at training camp this offseason and he’s got a strong relationship with Derek Carr from their time in Las Vegas.
The Saints offense is struggling under offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. and is only averaging 19.2 points a game. Head coach Dennis Allen has the defense playing at a high level but the offense hasn’t been good despite having really strong personnel. Gruden makes a lot of sense in New Orleans and would be able to reunite with Carr and former Raiders tight end Foster Moreau.
Las Vegas Raiders Offense Also Struggling
The Raiders offense hasn’t gotten better since Jon Gruden left. Despite Josh McDaniels having a long career as an offensive coordinator, his offense is only averaging 15.8 points a game and Las Vegas is the only team to not score more than 20 points in a game this season.
McDaniels gave some insight into what’s going wrong with the offense.
“We’ve got to do a lot of things a little bit better,” McDaniels told reporters when asked about his offense during his October 10 press conference. “There’s no one answer.”
The Raiders offense doesn’t lack talent. Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs were All-Pros last season. Hunter Renfrow and Austin Hooper have been Pro Bowlers. Kolton Miller is one of the highest-paid offensive linemen in the NFL and Jakobi Meyers is a very good wide receiver.
There’s no reason this offense shouldn’t be better. McDaniels is still trying to remain positive.
“Hopefully our best is in front of us,” he said.
Teams like the Steelers and Saints have defensive-minded head coaches so it’s understandable why offense wouldn’t be what makes them great. However, the Raiders have an offensive-minded head coach so he needs to figure out what’s going wrong.