The Oakland Raiders held a monster press conference on Tuesday to introduce Jon Gruden as their newest head coach. Gruden signed a 10-year contract to replace Jack Del Rio as the head man in charge, and it was clear from the wide smiles on the faces of everyone on the stage that this hire is, as Mark Davis would call it, "a big f----in deal."
Raiders owner Mark Davis: “Raider Nation: This is a big F-in’ deal.” Jon Gruden is back. pic.twitter.com/XGFmjBDsdn
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) January 9, 2018
Mark Davis - "It is the biggest day of my life right now"
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) January 9, 2018
Also big: that aforementioned 10-year contract Gruden signed. It's reportedly worth... 100 million dollars. Gruden was asked about the deal several times during his press conference, and let's just say his answers were interesting. Regarding the length of the contract, Gruden noted that there's no guarantee he's even alive to see the end of the deal.
Raiders HC Jon Gruden on his contract: “I don’t have a guarantee to be alive for 10 years.”
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) January 9, 2018
Of course, the length isn't as big a story as the money. $100 million is a nice, big, round number. Gruden could barely contain his smile as a reporter quoted the reported figures and asked him about it, then flat-out denied knowing the terms of his contract at all. It was a hilarious lie.
Yeah yeah this guy doesn’t know he’s getting $100 million. Sure sure. pic.twitter.com/QQGHxoNrlA
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) January 9, 2018
Jon Gruden says “I don’t really know the terms” of his contract.
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) January 9, 2018
Spoiler: no one believes him.
Maybe Gruden really doesn't know the terms of the deal, though, because apparently one of the big factors that drove him to take a job with a team that's moving to Las Vegas soon was his love for the city of Oakland.
Jon Gruden’s four reasons why he took the Raiders job:
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) January 9, 2018
1. I love football
2. I love the city of Oakland.
3. I love the Raiders.
4. I love to win.
It's either that, or Gruden, who hasn't coached since 2008, has undergone so little change since that point that he's just entirely unaware that the team is moving at all.
Jon Gruden: “I haven’t changed much at all since 1998. I really haven’t. I’m not a deep psychological person. ... I’m ready to roll.” Met Derek Carr this morning.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) January 9, 2018
Whatever the case, Gruden certainly appears happy to have landed in Oakland. And happy to be making a whole lot of money. And the Raiders appear happy enough to have him doing both.