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Saints got no negative feedback from league over Jon Gruden visit

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Mike Florio and Chris Simms dissect the Saints’ controversial move to bring in Jon Gruden and explain why it shows the team is doing everything it can to get the most out of Derek Carr.

Jon Gruden is persona non grata at 345 Park Avenue. (Join the club, Jon.) That didn’t stop the Saints from bringing in the former Buccaneers and Raiders coach to help acclimate quarterback Derek Carr to New Orleans.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Saints got no negative feedback from the league office for bringing Gruden around. And there would be reason for the NFL to not be thrilled about Gruden being associated with The Shield.

First, he sent horribly inappropriate emails that came to light during the 2021 season, sparking his forced resignation. Second, he’s suing the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell for allegedly weaponizing those emails against him.

Gruden has had some preliminary success in court, fending off efforts to force Gruden’s case to arbitration. That’s all the more reason for the league to be miffed about the Saints re-legitimizing Gruden, who has made it clear he wants to coach again.

Of course, it could hurt the NFL’s position if there’s evidence that the league expressed disapproval of Gruden’s presence at a team’s practice. Also, the NFL might currently be feeling disinclined to give the Saints a hard time about anything, given that their decision to switch from “no” to “yes” delivered Thursday night flexing last week.