How Tom Brady Impacted Jon Gruden’s Decision To Coach Raiders Again

Many wonder what made Jon Gruden come back and coach the Oakland Raiders after spending a decade in the broadcast booth.

It was the New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Of course. Gruden signed a 10-year contract worth $100 million, and that sure played a part in the decision-making process. The carrying on Al Davis’ legacy and coaching the league’s first Las Vegas franchise also helped. However, if you ask Gruden, he’ll say that Tom Brady helped him decide and come back to an NFL side line for the first time in ten years. Will the Raiders have luck this time?

Joe Harrington put together a nice video on Brady in an attempt to make a point about mental toughness. Brady got pretty far since the 2000 NFL Draft. He helped the team win five Super Bowls. The TB12 only became legend when he defeated Gruden and the Raiders in the 2001 playoffs. That’s what they say.

“He can’t run, can’t jump, he’s too old. He gets his ass knocked off. But he’s a Terminator. He ran me out of Oakland in the Tuck Game. Damn. He brought those bastards back in a two-minute drill to beat us in a driving snow. They didn’t do anything the whole night until the game was on the line. And here I am 20 years later, and guess who’s still there. That’s why I’m back,” Gruden said of Brady.

The New England Patriots won the game, and their win was known as the Tuck Rule Game. It kickstarted a dynasty in which the Patriots destroyed the St. Louisn Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI and dominated the AFC.

Gruden is back 20 years later, and Brady is still taking the lead in Foxboro. Is Gruden trying to revenge? Well, he sure is. It seems like he hasn’t forgotten the terrible loss.