Racist and homophobic emails cost Jon Gruden his head coaching job with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have now readmitted Gruden to their “Ring of Honor”.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have pardoned Jon Gruden.

The former head coach and TV pundit is now back in the “Ring of Honor,” which includes people who have made significant contributions to the franchise.

Gruden was expelled from the Bucs’ “Ring of Honor” in 2021 after racist, homophobic and misogynistic emails were made public. Now the turnaround.

“Jon Gruden was originally inducted into the Buccaneers‘ Ring of Honor because of what he has accomplished as a head coach during his seven seasons and is an important figure in our franchise’s history,” the team wrote on Thursday, X: “After reconsidering, we have now decided to reinstate him to the Buccaneers’ Ring of Honor.”

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— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) February 27, 2025

Jon Gruden won the Super Bowl with the Buccaneers

Gruden had won the Super Bowl with the Bucs in January 2003 against the then-Oakland Raiders. Gruden was working as head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders when, in October 2021, publications in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times set off the email scandal that ultimately forced Gruden to resign.

The scandalous emails of the now 61-year-old dated back to 2010.

In them, Gruden had, among other things, racially insulted DeMaurice Smith, the chairman of the NFLPA players’ union, and called NFL boss Roger Goodell an “clueless anti-football pussy”.

Gruden made fun of the “Black Lives Matter” movement

He made fun of the “Black Lives Matter” movement as well as of female referees in football.

All that now seems to be forgotten, at least with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jon Gruden is once again one of the most respected personalities in the Florida franchise.