“Obviously, Khalil Mack didn’t want to be here.”
– Jon Gruden pic.twitter.com/t1NQzF5bVo
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 10, 2018
Jon Gruden signed a 10-year $100 million contract to return to the Oakland Raiders, a team he hasn’t coached in 16 years back when the fullback was the most important player on the football field and you were openly allowed to call players ‘pussy’ if they missed a game with a concussion.
He is now on a PR tour going out of his way to attempt to explain that Khalil Mack didn’t want to be a Raider which simply isn’t true. Earl Thomas demanded a trade from the Seattle Seahawks and said he’d only be happy staying there if they paid him. (They didn’t trade him or pay him more, by the more.)
Khalil Mack never once said ‘trade me’. He made his demand clear. He wanted to be the highest paid player in the NFL and after his week 1 performance on Sunday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers, he proved he deserves all of the money in the town’s bank.
Khalil Mack is the best player in the NFL and the Oakland Raiders really traded him for some roast beef, some chicken, a pizza pic.twitter.com/RswqwXu8Q7
— Dead Serious (@Deadseriousness) September 10, 2018
Mack had a sack when he straight ripped the ball out of DeShone Kizer’s arms as if he was the running back that Kizer dropped back to hand it off to. He caught an interception and ran it to the house like Odell Beckham coming off a slant route.
Jon Gruden must’ve been sick watching that game.
For Gruden to come out and say that Mack didn’t want to be in training camp so he must’ve not wanted to be there is a wild lack of accountability. Mack was an All-Pro pass rusher for the Raiders for the last three seasons. Gruden has been there for like, an hour.
How is it Mack’s responsibility to come beg you for attention?
It’s still insane that Jon Gruden never once reached out to the best player on his team. Perhaps Mack be more willing to end his holdout if the $100 million man walking off the street had any sort of people skills. Mack earned the money that Gruden got for just being cool on Monday Night Football for a decade.
This is why you can’t sign a head coach to a 10-year deal. All of this job security only leads to irrational tough guy decisions. You don’t need to compromise when you feel like there are no consequences to any of your poor decisions.
If Jon Gruden signed a one year deal then Mack would not only be on the Raiders still but Gruden would personally add some of his money to Mack’s signing bonus and if Derek Carr isn’t performing well by Week 5, Gruden would send Khalil Mack out there to play quarterback too.
Oakland sucks.
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