Ask anyone who the best NFL analysts are today, and if that list doesn’t include Jon Gruden‘s name, just take a step back before you fully believe it. Today, if you’re looking for one of the best analysts on YouTube, Gruden is the best. His takes during the Super Bowl and now on the NFL draft are top-notch. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers HC is enjoying his life in his own way. He was having a great time with the Bucs, but things went too far in one controversial scenario during his tenure, which led to the Bucs removing Gruden. However, after so many years away from the gridiron life, the Bucs organization gave him a bit of a heart attack after announcing the update in February.

On February 27, the Bucs organization decided to reinstate Gruden into the franchise’s Ring of Honor. Reflecting on this, the Bucs owner, Joel Glazer, broke his silence on Gruden’s return to the Ring of Honor. The owner said, “Sometimes things that happened in the past, you look at it and say, ‘Well, you know, we’ve got to look at it again and see if it’s the right thing to do.’ In this case, Jon is such a big part of our history, and that’s what led to that decision,” while talking to reporters at the annual NFL meeting in Palm Beach.

Though the Bucs removed him from the respected list, they added him again this year. But before we look into why the Bucs removed him, let’s see what the Tampa Bay team said when they reinstated the former HC to the Ring of Honor. While making the announcement about Gruden’s return, the Bucs organization said, “Jon Gruden was initially inducted into the Buccaneers Ring of Honor based on his many accomplishments during his seven seasons as our head coach, and he remains a significant figure in the history of our franchise. Upon further reflection, we have decided to reinstate him into the Buccaneers Ring of Honor,” in their official statement in February 2025.

Gruden was the Bucs HC from 2002 to 2008, which was enough time to build trust and authority within the organization. However, in October 2021, the franchise decided to remove Jon from the highest coaching honor in the organization. Let’s take a quick look at what went wrong that led the Bucs to remove Gruden from the Ring of Honor in 2021.

Jon Gruden’s removal before reinstating him into the Ring of Honor

You read the happy statement from the Bucs in February 2025, right? Now take a look at this: “The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have advocated for purposeful change in the areas of race relations, gender equality, diversity, and inclusion for many years. While we acknowledge Jon Gruden’s contributions on the field, his actions go against our core values as an organization. Therefore, he will no longer continue to be a member of the Buccaneers Ring of Honor.” This was the statement from Joel Glazer’s organization when they removed Jon Gruden from the team’s Ring of Honor. Gruden received his first Ring of Honor induction in 2017.

In his seven years in Tampa Bay, Gruden led the team to a Super Bowl title in his first season. But after the Wall Street Journal and New York Times reported that Gruden allegedly made racist remarks behind closed doors in 2010, when he was the Las Vegas Raiders head coach, the team decided to remove him from the list in 2021. However, the team recognized his contributions to the franchise in February this year and restored his honor in the organization.

Currently, Jon Gruden is busy analyzing NFL draft prospects like Jaxson Dart and many others, offering his expert insights on their strengths, weaknesses, and potential fit in the league. With his vast experience as a former head coach and a deep understanding of the game, Gruden’s analysis has become a go-to resource for fans, coaches, and analysts alike. Let’s see if his predictions and evaluations hold up as the draft unfolds and these players make their mark in the NFL.