NFL Notes: Jon Gruden, Josh McDaniels, Chiefs, Packers

Jon Gruden

Jon Gruden told the ESPN staff after their Saturday telecast that he has a “calling” to return to coaching and the Oakland Raiders.

“I have a calling and the football Gods are calling me one last time. I don’t want to have any regrets,” Gruden said as he fought back tears, according to Robert Kelmko of TheMMQB.com.

Gruden’s partner Sean McDonough says the production meeting with the Chiefs, in which many wondered how this would go now that he’s set to be the head coach of a division rival, included DC Bob Sutton tossing a large stack of notebooks and gameplans at Gruden as part of gag.

“It was kind of a running gag,” McDonough says. “When Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton came to the meeting, he brought these huge notebooks that have every defense they run, and all these game plans, and he says ‘Here you go, Jon. Here’s everything you need to know.”

Chiefs HC Andy Reid also brought the game ball from the day the Chiefs clinched their first back-to-back AFC West titles in franchise history and he placed it on the table in front of Gruden for him to see.

Josh McDaniels

• Dan Graziano doesn’t think Patriots OC Josh McDaniels will up as the next head coach of the Giants.
• Based on what’s heard and been told, Graziano doubts the Giants are McDaniels’ first choice and he isn’t sure the Patriots’ coach would be the Giants’ either.
• Of the Giants, Bears, and Colts, Graziano thinks Indianapolis is likely the favorite to hire McDaniels.

Chiefs

• Following the news that the Bears have hired OC Matt Nagy as their new head coach (NFLTR), Ian Rapoport mentions that Kansas City has internal options to replace him at offensive coordinator.
• One name worth watching for the Chiefs, according to Rapoport, is RBs coach Eric Bieniemy.

Packers

Tom Silverstein reports that the Packers are shifting their focus to finding their next defensive coordinator. Green Bay reportedly interviewed CBs coach Joe Whitt Jr. Sunday and are scheduled to meet with safeties coach Darren Perry and AHC /linebackers Winston Moss are Monday.

• A highly placed source with the Packers tells Rob Demovsky of their GM hire: “John Schneider would be a grand slam, but Brian Gutekunst would be a home run.”
• Green Bay’s internal reluctance to hire Russ Ball was reportedly rooted in the idea that he would be a continuation of things as they were under Ted Thompson.
• According to Demovsky, it’s believed that Ball was the one who made the call to move on from free agents Julius Peppers and Micah Hyde last offseason.
• Gutekunst is unlikely to be a full 180 from Thompson as the team’s GM, but Demovsky says that he’s expected to be more aggressive with veteran players.