Fans of the Las Vegas Raiders who also happen to be fans of former head coach Jon Gruden might want to look away. After two separate stints with the team that spanned a bit over seven seasons, it appears he doesn’t care about AFC West rivalries.
On August 4, PJ Green of FOX4 News Kansas City posted a video that revealed that Gruden was at a training camp practice for the Kansas City Chiefs. While that might not seem like a big deal, what might upset Raider Nation is that the coach was also wearing Chiefs gear.
It’s customary for team visitors to wear the gear of the team that they’re visiting. The Raiders have had big names like Calvin Johnson wearing team gear at practices in the past. However, it’s still odd to see Gruden wearing Chiefs red considering how heated the rivalry between the two franchises is.
Now, he’s not a member of the Raiders franchise right now so he’s free to wear whatever he wants. Regardless, there are likely to be some upset fans. The Chiefs just won the Super Bowl in Allegiant Stadium and now fans get to see the former head coach wearing the rival colors. It’s been a rough 2024 for Raiders fans so far.
Jon Gruden & Andy Reid Go Way Back
The main reason Gruden is likely at Chiefs training camp is due to his relationship with head coach Andy Reid. The two go back decades. They both started as offensive assistants in 1992 with the Green Bay Packers under head coach Mike Holmgren.
Reid and Gruden worked together in Green Bay until after the 1994 season. Notably, the Packers’ job was both of their first jobs in the NFL. The two haven’t coached together in three decades but they’ve clearly maintained a relationship. Gruden going to Chiefs camp has less to do with any rivalries than it does with a friend showing up to support his friend.
What is notable is that this likely puts to bed the idea that Gruden is working for the New Orleans Saints. If he was, he would almost certainly be spending all of training camp with them.
Are Las Vegas Raiders Closing the Gap Yet?
Gruden’s been far enough removed from the Raiders to be able to give the Chiefs any valuable insight. It’s unlikely he’d give any regardless. The Chiefs have been the premier team in the NFL and especially the AFC West for a long time now.
Kansas City has won the AFC West for eight straight years and they aren’t slowing down. Every team in the division is chasing them but none of the teams can seem to get it right. The Raiders were second place in the AFC West last season and the last team to beat the Chiefs before their Super Bowl run.
However, it still feels like there’s a very wide gap between the two teams. The Raiders are significantly weaker at quarterback and it’s hard to imagine they’ll be able to win the AFC West until they upgrade there. That said, it’s possible that the Raiders will be more competitive with the Chiefs in 2024 due to an improved defense.
