Jon Gruden is the new Raiders coach and apparently feels the need to clarify his new contract which is reported to have him earn $100 million over 10 years. During an interview with Peter King’s Football Morning in America, Gruden mentions:
“I’m not making $100 million, just so you know. Well, I never thought Tom Cruise, never thought his movies were any good but he’s making plenty of money.”
There’s a lot of things that I don’t understand. No disrespect to Tom Cruise. I’m sure he’s a great actor. But you know what? You just go about your life as hard as you can. You try to find something you love and you do the best you can at it. I never got into coaching for the money. I got into coaching because I wanted to be a quarterback coach. What the salary cap has become, what free agency has become — it’s amazing.”
Strange that Gruden would use Tom Cruise to maybe justify the money he’s making as the Raiders coach after a near 10 year hiatus from coaching to commentate on Monday Night Football. Reports of the deal have been lingering for months and he now decides to refute what most of the media was reporting.
Gruden’s deal is more than likely filled with partial guarantees if he were to be fired during his tenure. Still doesn’t explain the random shot at Tom Cruise who has been a mainstay in the box office with his newest Mission Impossible movie making over $500 million in the box office worldwide. The Raiders are currently going through a bitter holdout with their star edge rusher Khalil Mack who wants a new deal and has yet to report to training camp. Hopefully Gruden and the Raiders can resolve the dispute with Mack and his representatives and get back to winning football games.