What Is the Jon Gruden Lawsuit?
The Jon Gruden lawsuit is a civil case in which former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden sued the National Football League and Commissioner Roger Goodell in Nevada state court over the leak of his old emails. Gruden filed it on November 11, 2021 in the Eighth Judicial District Court in Clark County, one month after he resigned as Raiders coach.
Gruden alleges that league officials selectively leaked emails he wrote while working as an ESPN analyst, in order to force him out of his job. The NFL denies leaking them. The emails surfaced during a league-commissioned investigation of the Washington Commanders workplace, which reviewed roughly 650,000 emails, and Gruden was not the subject of that investigation.
The case has one plaintiff and two defendants, so it is not a class action and not part of any multidistrict litigation. Nobody else can join it, and the page covers it as a single dispute between a named coach and the league.
Why Was the Jon Gruden Lawsuit Filed?
The Jon Gruden lawsuit was filed because Gruden alleges the NFL and Goodell ran a deliberate campaign to destroy his career by releasing private emails to the press. His complaint calls it a "malicious and orchestrated campaign," and his lawyer has said there is no explanation for why his emails were the only ones made public out of the roughly 650,000 the league collected.
The timing is central to his theory. Gruden's attorneys say the NFL learned of the emails in June 2021 and held them for months. The Wall Street Journal published the first batch on October 8, 2021, the Raiders said the same day that they were reviewing material the league provided, and Gruden resigned on October 11, 2021 after The New York Times published more.
The NFL's position is that Gruden has only himself to blame, since he wrote and widely sent the emails. The league says he cannot dispute that he authored them, and it denies that it or Goodell leaked them.
What Harms Does the Jon Gruden Lawsuit Allege?
The Jon Gruden lawsuit alleges four distinct harms, all flowing from the same resignation rather than from separate events. The complaint pleads seven causes of action, but the harms below are the losses Gruden says those claims address. They are allegations, and the NFL denies that it caused any of them.
Lost Raiders Employment
Lost employment, in a civil claim, is the pay and contract value a person says they gave up when a job ended because of a defendant's conduct.
Gruden alleges the leaked emails forced him to resign in October 2021, which ended a 10-year Raiders contract that was signed in 2018 and reported at $100 million. Earlier coverage said he sought the balance of that contract, reduced by an undisclosed settlement with the Raiders.
A claim for lost employment turns on proving that the NFL's conduct, rather than the content of the emails alone, caused the resignation. That causation question is one the court has not decided.
Lost Future Coaching Opportunities
Lost future opportunities are the jobs or earnings a person says they would likely have obtained if a defendant had not interfered.
Gruden pleads tortious interference with prospective economic advantage, which covers expected future business relationships rather than an existing contract. He says the disclosure damaged his ability to be hired again as an NFL or college coach.
Gruden has since worked as a media commentator, and Commissioner Goodell said in October 2025 that hiring him is not the commissioner's decision, a point the NFL can raise against this harm.
Lost Endorsements and Sponsorships
Lost sponsorships are endorsement or sponsor income that ends or is never offered after a public controversy.
The February 2026 Case Conference Report lists lost sponsorships among the sources of his claimed losses. The Associated Press reported earlier that Gruden says the disclosure and its publication ruined his endorsement contracts.
Sponsorship losses usually require contracts, termination notices or offers that were withdrawn. The sources reviewed do not identify the specific sponsors involved.
Reputational Harm
Reputational harm is damage to how a person is regarded by the public or by their profession.
Gruden's filings describe injury to his reputation as part of his damages. Courts handling career-harm claims may consider reputational injury alongside lost earnings, but the amount is the hardest category to measure.
The NFL's argument cuts the other way: the league says the emails were racist, misogynistic and homophobic and that Gruden wrote them himself, so it contends any reputational damage traces to his own words.
What Is the Current Status of the Jon Gruden Lawsuit?
The current status of the Jon Gruden lawsuit is active discovery in Clark County, Nevada, with a trial set for May 2027. Judge Joe Hardy denied the NFL's motions to dismiss in December 2025, and the league appealed the anti-SLAPP part of that ruling to the Nevada Supreme Court in January 2026.
The two proceedings run side by side. The trial court is moving the case through discovery, and the NFL's appeal is pending, and the sources reviewed report no stay of discovery.
Gruden v. National Football League
Gruden sued the NFL and Goodell in Clark County District Court. Judge Nancy Allf first denied the NFL's motions on May 25, 2022, and after the Nevada Supreme Court returned the case, Judge Joe Hardy took it over and refused both a stay of discovery and dismissal.
| Court | Eighth Judicial District Court, Clark County, Nevada (state trial court) |
| Case number | A-21-844043-B |
| Presiding judge | Joe Hardy (earlier Nancy Allf) |
| Filed | November 11, 2021 |
| Claims | Seven: intentional interference with contractual relations, tortious interference with prospective economic advantage, negligence, negligent hiring, negligent supervision, civil conspiracy, and aiding and abetting |
| Damages | Complaint pleads money in excess of $15,000 on each claim; a February 4, 2026 filing claims losses above $150 million |
| Discovery target | February 26, 2027, per the February 2026 hearing |
| Trial | May 2027, set on March 30, 2026, expected to last about 14 days |
| Gruden's counsel | Adam Hosmer-Henner |
| NFL's counsel | Kannon Shanmugam, Max Fetaz and William Marks, per hearing coverage |
Hardy told the parties in February 2026 that it is a 2021 case and that evidence can be lost over time, which was his reason for letting discovery proceed. The sources reviewed report no ruling on the merits of any claim.
National Football League v. Gruden
The Nevada Supreme Court has handled two appeals from this case. The first, No. 85527, ended the arbitration fight when the full court ruled 5-2 on August 11, 2025 that the NFL Constitution's arbitration clause does not apply to Gruden as a former employee and is unconscionable, and it denied rehearing 7-0 on October 2, 2025.
| Court | Nevada Supreme Court |
| First appeal | No. 85527, arbitration; decided August 11, 2025 by a 5-2 vote after en banc review |
| Rehearing | Denied unanimously on October 2, 2025 |
| Second appeal | NFL notice of appeal filed January 23, 2026, challenging the denial of its anti-SLAPP motion |
| Second appeal status | Pending; no ruling or argument date reported in the sources reviewed |
Before the full court heard the case, a three-judge panel had ruled 2-1 for the NFL in May 2024. The full court reversed that outcome, so the earlier panel decision no longer controls.
Did Jon Gruden Settle the Lawsuit?
No. Jon Gruden has not settled the lawsuit with the NFL and Goodell, and a filing reported in February 2026 revealed there had been no settlement talks.
The $150 million figure is the loss Gruden claims, not an amount anyone has agreed to pay or a court has awarded. NFL lawyers wrote in January 2026 that they saw no prospect of settlement at that time.
No court has found the NFL liable, so no damages have been awarded. Whether Gruden recovers anything depends on proving that the league leaked the emails and that the leak caused his losses, which discovery and a jury would have to resolve.
A trial in May 2027 is the earliest point at which a verdict could arrive, and an appeal of any verdict would follow. A settlement can still happen at any stage, and it would not necessarily be announced.
Latest Jon Gruden Lawsuit Updates
The latest Jon Gruden lawsuit updates and news, including new filings, rulings, and case-count reports, are tracked below as they're confirmed. The Gruden v. National Football League case continues in active pretrial proceedings as of November 2026, with no global settlement reached. See the full timeline below for every confirmed development since the litigation began.
Full Jon Gruden Lawsuit Timeline
Hearing Transcript Shows Judge Hardy Pressing Gruden's Lawyer on a BlackBerry
Sportico reported on October 27, 2026 on a hearing transcript in which Judge Joe Hardy questioned Gruden's attorney about a BlackBerry device that Gruden had described to the NFL. The attorney called the discrepancy a mistake and not a lie. The sources reviewed report no sanctions.
Judge Criticizes Gruden's Compliance With Discovery Rules
Judge Joe Hardy criticized Jon Gruden and his lawyers for a lack of compliance with the rules during a hearing reported on August 10, 2026. The criticism came amid disputes over discovery in the Gruden v. National Football League case.
Court Sets May 2027 Trial Date
A Las Vegas judge set a May 2027 trial date on March 30, 2026 for Gruden's lawsuit against the NFL and Roger Goodell. The date keeps the Gruden v. National Football League case on a public court track in Clark County instead of private arbitration.
Judge Hardy Refuses to Pause Discovery During the NFL's Appeal
Clark County District Judge Joe Hardy declined on February 24, 2026 to stay discovery while the NFL appeals, saying the league's anti-SLAPP motion was not filed in good faith. Attorneys estimated 12 to 15 months of discovery, with a February 26, 2027 target, and a 14-day trial.
Gruden Names Goodell and Owners as Planned Witnesses
A filing reported by ESPN on February 5, 2026 says Gruden's lawyers will seek testimony from Roger Goodell, former league counsel Jeff Pash, Daniel Snyder, Mark Davis, Jerry Jones and Bob Kraft. The same filing revealed no settlement talks have taken place in the Gruden lawsuit.
Gruden Claims More Than $150 Million in Losses
Gruden's attorneys filed a Case Conference Report on February 4, 2026 stating his claimed losses exceed $150 million. The report cites the end of his Raiders employment, lost future opportunities, lost sponsorships, reputational harm and legal costs, and notes the NFL declined to attend the early case conference.
NFL Appeals the Anti-SLAPP Denial to the Nevada Supreme Court
NFL lawyers filed a notice of appeal on January 23, 2026 challenging Judge Joe Hardy's December ruling that denied dismissal under Nevada's anti-SLAPP statute. A separate filing said the league saw no prospect of settlement at that time, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Judge Hardy Denies Both NFL Motions to Dismiss
Clark County District Judge Joe Hardy denied two NFL motions to dismiss on December 3, 2025, one under Nevada's anti-SLAPP statute and one asking him to reconsider Judge Nancy Allf's earlier ruling. Gruden's attorneys argued the league was using stall tactics to avoid discovery.
NFL Seeks Dismissal Under Nevada's Anti-SLAPP Law After the Case Returns
NFL lawyers filed a motion on October 23, 2025 arguing that Gruden's claims target protected speech, because the alleged disclosure of his emails to the press concerned an issue of public concern. The motion also argued that Gruden cannot show the emails were altered or that he did not write them.
Goodell Says Hiring Gruden Is Not the Commissioner's Decision
Roger Goodell said on October 22, 2025 that if Jon Gruden is offered and takes a job he will coach in the NFL, and that the decision is not in the commissioner's purview. Goodell added that he did not know the status of the lawsuit, and a status check was scheduled for November 24.
Nevada Supreme Court Unanimously Denies the NFL's Rehearing Petition
The Nevada Supreme Court denied the NFL's petition for rehearing in No. 85527 by a 7-0 vote on October 2, 2025. The denial left the August 11 ruling in place and sent the Gruden v. National Football League case back to the trial court.
Full Nevada Supreme Court Rules the Arbitration Clause Does Not Apply to Gruden
The Nevada Supreme Court ruled 5-2 on August 11, 2025 in No. 85527 that the NFL Constitution's arbitration clause does not apply to Gruden as a former employee and is unconscionable. It reversed the May 2024 panel decision, and the court noted the clause would let the commissioner arbitrate disputes about his own conduct.
Three-Judge Panel Orders Arbitration, Then the Full Court Takes the Case
A three-judge Nevada Supreme Court panel ruled 2-1 on May 14, 2024 that Gruden's claims belong in NFL arbitration. Gruden asked the full court to reconsider, and it agreed to hear the case en banc in October 2024.
Nevada Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on Arbitration
The Nevada Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Las Vegas on January 10, 2024 in the NFL's appeal of the trial court's refusal to compel arbitration of Gruden's lawsuit. Gruden attended the hearing in person.
Judge Allf Denies the NFL's Motions to Dismiss and Compel Arbitration
Clark County District Judge Nancy Allf denied the NFL's motions to dismiss Gruden's lawsuit and to send it to arbitration at a hearing on May 25, 2022. The NFL appealed to the Nevada Supreme Court, which paused the trial court case.
Gruden Sues the NFL and Roger Goodell in Clark County
Jon Gruden filed a 21-page complaint on November 11, 2021 against the NFL and Roger Goodell in the Eighth Judicial District Court in Clark County, Nevada. It pleaded seven causes of action and described a "Soviet-style character assassination," and the NFL called the allegations entirely meritless.
Gruden Resigns as Raiders Head Coach After the Emails Surface
Jon Gruden resigned as Las Vegas Raiders head coach on October 11, 2021, three days after the Wall Street Journal first reported on emails he sent between 2011 and 2018. The New York Times published further emails, which came from the NFL's investigation of the Washington Commanders.
What Evidence Is at Issue in the Jon Gruden Lawsuit?
The evidence in the Jon Gruden lawsuit centers on who had access to the emails and how they reached reporters, not on whether Gruden wrote them. The NFL says he does not dispute that he authored and widely sent the emails, so the contested question is whether the league or someone connected to it leaked them.
Gruden's side wants the full set of documents from the Commanders investigation, along with records from the Raiders, Commanders, Cowboys, Patriots, Seahawks, Giants, Jets and Dolphins. Goodell has submitted a sworn declaration saying he did not give the emails to the press and does not know who did.
The league is also examining Gruden's own devices. In an October 2026 hearing, the judge questioned a BlackBerry that Gruden's side had described, which shows how much weight each side puts on the paper trail.
How Did the NFL and Roger Goodell Respond to the Jon Gruden Lawsuit?
The NFL and Goodell deny leaking the emails and have fought the case on procedure since 2021. A league spokesperson called the allegations entirely meritless in 2022, and the league's lawyers later wrote that Gruden "concocted a fictional story" in which he is the victim of his own conduct.
The league's legal strategy has run in three steps: arbitration, dismissal, and an anti-SLAPP motion. Its anti-SLAPP argument assumes that, if the league disclosed the emails, the disclosure was speech on a matter of public concern, a position critics note sits uneasily beside the denial that it leaked them.
| Defendant | Role alleged in the complaint | Stated position |
|---|---|---|
| National Football League | Alleged to have leaked the emails selectively to force Gruden out | Denies leaking them; says the claims fail as a matter of law |
| Roger Goodell | Commissioner named personally in the suit | Swore he did not provide the emails and does not know who did |
Gruden's response is that the case is about a campaign to pressure the Raiders, not only about the emails themselves, and that his private emails were not a public concern before they were published.
How Does the Jon Gruden Lawsuit Compare to the Brian Flores Lawsuit?
The Jon Gruden lawsuit is a separate case from the Brian Flores lawsuit, though both challenged the NFL's use of commissioner-run arbitration. Flores and two other Black coaches sued over alleged discrimination in hiring, while Gruden sued over leaked emails.
Courts reached similar conclusions on arbitration in each, since a federal appeals court allowed Flores to proceed in August 2025, the same month as the Nevada ruling for Gruden.
| Case | Plaintiffs | Court | Claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gruden v. National Football League (this page) | Jon Gruden | Clark County District Court, Nevada | Tortious interference over leaked emails |
| Flores v. National Football League (separate) | Brian Flores and other coaches | U.S. District Court, S.D.N.Y. | Alleged racial discrimination in NFL hiring |
For the discrimination case, see the Brian Flores lawsuit page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Jon Gruden lawsuit about?
The Jon Gruden lawsuit is a civil case in which the former Raiders head coach alleges the NFL and Roger Goodell leaked his old emails to force him to resign in October 2021. He seeks damages for lost employment, future opportunities, endorsements and reputation, and the NFL denies leaking the emails.
Is the Jon Gruden lawsuit a class action?
No. The Jon Gruden lawsuit is a single civil case with one plaintiff, filed in Clark County, Nevada, and it is neither a class action nor multidistrict litigation. No other people can join it.
Did Jon Gruden win his lawsuit against the NFL?
Jon Gruden has won important procedural rulings but has not won a judgment against the NFL. The Nevada Supreme Court ruled 5-2 on August 11, 2025 that the league's arbitration clause does not apply to him, and no court has yet decided whether the NFL leaked his emails.
When is the Jon Gruden trial?
The Jon Gruden trial is set for May 2027 in Clark County, Nevada, on a date the court set on March 30, 2026. Attorneys expect discovery to run until about February 26, 2027 and the trial to last roughly 14 days, though the NFL's pending appeal could affect the schedule.
How much is Jon Gruden suing the NFL for?
Jon Gruden claims his losses exceed $150 million, according to a Case Conference Report filed on February 4, 2026. His complaint itself pleads money in excess of $15,000 on each of seven claims, and the figure is a claimed loss and not an award.
Is the Jon Gruden lawsuit related to the Brian Flores lawsuit?
No. The Jon Gruden lawsuit is not legally connected to the Brian Flores lawsuit, which alleges discrimination in NFL hiring. Both cases involved the league's arbitration clause, but they have different plaintiffs, courts and claims.