Jon Gruden Says He Doesn't 'Believe Everything Is True' on ESPN

Former NFL coach Jon Gruden on Tuesday took a shot at one of his former employers, saying he "doesn't believe everything is true" on ESPN.

Gruden, who worked as an analyst for ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcasts from 2009 to 2017, made the comments during an appearance at the Little Rock Touchdown Club in Arkansas.

His appearance also marked the first time he publicly discussed last year's controversy over leaked emails that led him to quit his job as head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders.

Emails that Gruden had sent to Bruce Allen, a former executive for the Washington football franchise, were unearthed during an NFL investigation into the workplace culture at Washington. (That investigation ended with the NFL fining Washington $10 million dollars.) The messages—which contained racist, misogynistic and homophobic language—were first published by The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times in October 2021.

The backlash from the emails resulted in Gruden stepping down from his position with the Raiders franchise, where he had signed a 10-year contract for $100 million in 2018.

"I'm ashamed about what has come about in these emails, and I'll make no excuses for it," he said on Tuesday.

During the same appearance, Gruden also voiced his displeasure with ESPN.

"Hell, I worked at ESPN for nine years. I worked hard at that job," he said. "I don't even want to watch the channel anymore because I don't believe everything is true. I know a lot of it is just trying to get people to watch, but I think we got to get back to reality."

Gruden acknowledged he had made mistakes to the crowd gathered at the Little Rock Touchdown Club. He also indicated he would like to return to the football world.

He said, "It's shameful. But I am a good person. I believe that. I go to church. I've been married for 31 years. I've got three great boys. I still love football. I've made some mistakes. But I don't think anybody in here hasn't. And I just ask for forgiveness, and hopefully, I get another shot."

After Gruden left his job in Las Vegas, he filed a lawsuit against the NFL. His lawsuit stated that hundreds of thousands of emails were rounded up in the Washington investigation but only his were singled out. The lawsuit also noted that Gruden was an employee at ESPN when he wrote the messages.

In May, a Nevada district court judge ruled in Gruden's favor after the NFL sought to have his lawsuit dismissed. The judge also denied the NFL's request for private arbitration and allowed the case to proceed in open court.

Newsweek reached out to Gruden through his attorney for comment.