Former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden is currently engaged in a lawsuit against the NFL, where he alleges that the league leaked damaging emails to the press, forcing his resignation from the Raiders in the middle of the 2021 NFL season.
On Monday, Gruden won a massive battle as he continues his fight against the NFL. According to ESPN’s Don Van Natta, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled in Gruden’s favor, stating that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s involvement in Gruden’s arbitration cited a massive conflict of interest.
“In their 5-2 ruling, justices did not determine whether or not the league had leaked Gruden’s emails, but they found that the league’s decision to force his complaint into arbitration proceedings overseen by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell — the target of Gruden’s civil lawsuit — was “unconscionable,” wrote Van Natta.
“As a former employee, Gruden should not have been bound by a provision in the NFL Constitution mandating arbitration for such complaints, the court ruled.”
“By its own unambiguous language, the NFL Constitution no longer applies to Gruden,” the justices wrote. “If the NFL Constitution were to bind former employees, the Commissioner could essentially pick and choose which disputes to arbitrate.”
Now, Gruden will be able to continue his pursuit for damages against the league
Former NFL Coache Jon Gruden have a laugh while attending an NFL training camp session ten at the Miller Electric Center, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] / Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
“We’re very pleased with the Nevada Supreme Court’s decision, not just for Coach Gruden but for all employees facing an employer’s unfair arbitration process,” said Adam Hosmer-Henner of McDonald Carano LLP, attorneys for Jon Gruden. “This victory further vindicates Coach Gruden’s reputation, and it clears the way to swiftly bringing him full justice and holding the NFL accountable.”
Now that the ruling has been made, Gruden and the NFL enter new waters
Raiders On SI Beat Writer Hondo Carpenter reported about the case back in 2022, stating this was a dire situation for the NFL. With this recent ruling, Gruden gained more leverage in his fight.
‘Las Vegas attorney Sam Mirejovsky of the Sam & Ash Law Firm wrote this opinion on the case and shared it with Raiders On SI exclusively:
“Gruden’s lawsuit against the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell is the real deal,” reported Carpenter.
“Now that a Nevada district court judge has ruled the case can proceed in open court and not through a confidential arbitration process, the entire situation has become significantly more dire for the defendants.”
Carpenter was right. Let’s see how this plays out.
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