Jon Gruden’s legal team is seeking testimony from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis, and several other current and former team owners as the former Raiders coach presses his lawsuit against the league.
In a court filing Wednesday, Gruden’s attorneys also named Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and former Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder as potential witnesses. The list includes other league personnel, a former head of the NFL Players Association, and others.
Gruden filed the suit in 2021, alleging the NFL leaked emails that led to his resignation from the Raiders in October 2021. The emails, some dating to 2011, contained racist, misogynistic, and anti-LGBTQ language. The league has denied leaking them, but the emails emerged during an NFL investigation into workplace misconduct by the then-Washington Football Team.
The filing states that Gruden’s counsel attempted to schedule two meetings with representatives for Goodell and the NFL in January but were stood up both times. Attorneys for Goodell and the league filed an appeal on Jan. 23 to overturn District Judge Joe Hardy’s December decision denying a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.
Gruden seeks more than $150 million in damages for lost employment, lost future opportunities, lost sponsorships, reputational harm, and court fees, according to the filing. “NFL Defendants once again have refused to meaningfully participate in the discovery process,” the filing states.
The filing also demands the disclosure of documents, including a “Blackmail Powerpoint” allegedly presented by Snyder or the Pittsburgh-based Reed Smith law firm to the NFL. Gruden himself also requested to testify. The filing seeks all communications between the NFL, Goodell, and the Raiders referencing Gruden, as well as all 650,000 documents from the Washington Football Team investigation.
No settlement talks have occurred between Gruden and the NFL. Gruden requests that discovery be completed by Nov. 2, the filing says. The case previously spent time before the Nevada Supreme Court, which ruled in August that Gruden could not be forced into arbitration.
Gruden’s attorneys could not be reached for comment. NFL Chief Spokesman Brian McCarthy, also asked to testify, declined to comment. Court records show the league and Goodell are represented by several attorneys, including Brad Karp, who resigned Wednesday as chairman of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison after documents revealed exchanges with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Karp is expected to remain at the firm. It is unclear whether his resignation affects his role as counsel for Goodell or the NFL.
