GRUDEN SET TO SIGN.

Ten-year agreement could be worth close to $100 million, ESPN reports

The Oakland Raiders never really recovered from the decision to trade Jon Gruden to Tampa Bay 16 years ago.

There was a Super Bowl trip the following season when Oakland lost to Gruden’s Buccaneers and another National Football League playoff appearance in 2016 under Jack Del Rio that garnered little optimism because quarterback Derek Carr was injured.

But there has been mostly a run of losing seasons under nine coaches as only the Cleveland Browns had lost more games during Gruden’s 16-year absence than the Raiders.

Owner Mark Davis hopes that will all change now that he has finally lured Gruden back for a second stint as the team’s coach.

A person with knowledge of the team’s plans said the Raiders are planning a news conference Tuesday to announce that Gruden is leaving the broadcast booth to come back to coaching. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Friday because the team has made no formal announcement.

The Raiders fired Del Rio following a disappointing six-win season and talk immediately turned to Gruden, who has been out of coaching since being fired by Tampa Bay following the 2008 season. Gruden has spent the past nine years as the lead analyst for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” telecast. He is scheduled to work his final game Saturday in Kansas City when the Chiefs take on the Tennessee Titans in a playoff game.

Then after that he will head to Oakland with the task of resurrecting Carr after a down year and getting the Raiders back to the post-season.

ESPN reported that Gruden will receive a 10-year deal that could be worth close to $100 million. Gruden has already started putting together a staff with Cincinnati defensive co-ordinator Paul Guenther among those expected to join.

The Raiders have complied with the “Rooney Rule” and interviewed minority candidates for the job, according to NFL spokesperson Joe Lockhart.

“I can tell you we believe the Rooney Rule was complied with,” Lockhart said.