Gruden Agrees To Multi-Year Deal With ESPN

Jon Gruden, one of ESPN’s two Monday Night Football analysts, has agreed to an "exclusive multi-year" deal with the network, ESPN announced Monday morning.

Gruden will appear on ESPN’s NFL draft and Super Bowl week coverage, and he will call the 2010 NFL Pro Bowl on Jan. 31, 2010.

Jon Gruden
SportingNews.com - Nov 16, 11:17 am EST

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Also, the Super Bowl-winning coach will serve as an analyst for ESPN Radio’s 2010 Rose Bowl and Bowl Championship Series (BCS) title game broadcasts, according to the network.

"Working with Mike [Tirico], Jaws [Ron Jaworsk] and our entire Monday Night Football team is the most fun I have had in years, and I am fired up to make this long-term commitment to ESPN," said Gruden. "Monday Night Football is special and I look forward to remaining a part of it and continuing to call these great games."

Mike Florio, editor of ProFootballTalk.com and an SN contributor, says he’s not buying into the belief Gruden won’t return to coaching in the next year.

Though the release is silent in this regard, the implicit message is that Gruden is off the market, not only for other broadcasting jobs but also for coaching jobs. Frankly, we’re not sure we believe it. And unless and until ESPN discloses the relevant language of the contract, we’ll be suspicious.