The first time I heard it all was guaranteed. Haven't heard anything after that but aren't coaches contracts usually guaranteed in case of firing? Some ESPN guy said there was no way the Raiders could even think of firing him before 6 or 7 years. If Gruden goes 0-48 in his first 3 seasons the Raiders would be on the hook for the other $70 million if they fire him.
No bc he'd have no incentive to win. Never been a 10 yr NFL coaching contract I suppose. For good reason.
On the surface that logic makes sense. There are a lot of people who would mail it in after getting life altering money. But how life altering is going from $6 million a year to $10 million? With raises Gruden could have made $70 or $80 million over 10 years by staying with MNF. Gruden may fail but he won't mail it in. He gave up a cushy one day a week job with no pressure to work man killing hours with his every move scrutinized over and over by the fans on social media, the sports media and a weird owner. If it was me I would have stayed on MNF. And so would you or any other sane person. But coaches are driven by a different reality. And there is the fact that if Gruden fails miserably he will become a national joke instead of a respected sage.
I became a pseudo bucs fan when Gruden went there. I was a big fan of him long ago but I fully expect him to be less than he was before retiring. He's been out for a decade and his desire is not the same. Sure he's a grinder and can win a super bowl with David Carr I do believe. But I wouldn't bet on him long term. He can win soon but he'll be gone halfway thru his contract. That's why the guaranteed part is relevant. That's what he'll end up with.
This seems similar to signing an ageing free agent in baseball. Don't really expect to get 6 good years from the guy, but if that's what it takes to lure him into signing, you do it,.. knowing some of the back end of the contract is probably throw away money.
Not really the same. Give a 32 year old baseball player a 10 year deal and you know he won't be the same into his 40's. But Gruden is 54. It's easily conceivable that he could coach for 10 years. I don't think he will. If he wanted to coach that badly he wouldn't have stayed away for a decade. I don't think coaching is burned into his DNA the way it is with Nick Saban or Urban Meyer.
If he walks away from the game before 10 years is up of course he wouldn't continue to get paid but I would think that if he gets fired he would get the full amount remaining on the contract unless he would agree to a lump sum settlement.
My point was, they had to offer Gruden a "too long" contract to entice him to sign on,.. slim chance Gruden finishes that contract, most likely scenario,.. disenchanted, at some point the Raiders pay him to go away.
