LAS VEGAS — In an opening brief filed in an appeal to force Jon Gruden into an arbitration process, the NFL claimed the former Raiders coach agreed to arbitrate disputes when he signed his 10-year, $100 million contract with the team.
Gruden sued the league and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in November 2021, claiming that the league intentionally leaked derogatory emails he wrote and pressured the Raiders to fire him in an attempt to ruin his career and reputation. In January, the state Supreme Court put the lawsuit on pause pending the completion of an appeal challenging a district court’s denial of the league’s motion to compel arbitration.
District Judge Nancy Allf has previously ruled that the arbitration process the league wants Gruden to go through would be unfair in part because the NFL’s constitution would allow for Goodell to act as the arbitrator.
