Del Rio dumped as Raiders eye Gruden

Raiders coach Jack Del Rio has been fired after a disappointing season, and owner Mark Davis already may a replacement in mind.

Del Rio said Davis told him after the team’s season-ending 30-10 loss to the Chargers on Sunday that he would not be retained as coach in Oakland. Del Rio had signed a four-year contract extension last February after Oakland ended a 13-year playoff drought with a 12win season last year.

The Raiders followed that up with one of the most disappointing seasons in the NFL. Oakland went 6-10 for the second biggest one-season drops in wins in franchise history.

According to an ESPN report, the Raiders may be trying to lure back former coach Jon Gruden, who coached the team from 1998-2001 and led them to an AFC Championship game, and all signs are pointing to a reunion.

Gruden, who currently is an analyst for “Monday Night Football,” won a Super Bowl in 2002 as head coach of the Buccaneers, beating the Raiders.

The Raiders reportedly are willing to offer Gruden an ownership stake to return to the team, a move that would likely have to be approved by all 32 NFL owners.

To meet Rooney Rule requirements — and in case their dreams don’t come true — the team will have to interview candidates for the position, but multiple sources have told ESPN they believe Gruden will coach the Raiders in 2018.

COLTS: Indianapolis fired coach Chuck Pagano less than two hours after they ended a 4-12 season with a 22-13 victory over Houston. Team owner Jimmy Irsay made the announcement in a statement, wish- ing Pagano and his wife well in the future.

The move comes after Indy missed the playoffs for the third straight year, the team’s longest postseason drought since a sevenseason absence from 1988-94.

With Andrew Luck missing the entire 2017 season, Indy never had a chance. The Colts wound up with their first losing season since 2011, their second since 2002, and the first in Pagano’s six seasons as coach.

Pagano finished his first head coaching job with a 56-46 record, including a 3-3 mark in the playoffs.

TEXANS: General manager Rick Smith is choosing family over football.

Less than one hour after Houston lost its season finale 22-13 at Indianapolis, Smith said he was taking an immediate leave of absence from the team to help his wife battle breast cancer.

“We are faithful and trust in God’s promise of healing and wholeness,” Smith said in the statement. “I am eternally grateful to the McNair family for their unwavering support during this trying time. This was an extremely difficult decision for me to make as I love this organization and every member of this team both on and off the field. I remain committed to our quest to bring a championship to the city of Houston, yet my family needs me now and they are my priority.”

The team announced the diagnosis Sunday after the Texans completed a 4-12 season and amid speculation about possible changes within the organization.