Go ahead and file this one away under, "I'll believe it when I see it."
According to a report from Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the Tennessee Titans are a team to keep an eye on - pun intended - when it comes to current ESPN NFL analyst and Super Bowl-winning coach Jon Gruden, a man La Canfora says he's already hearing "whispers" about in terms of a return to coaching.
"One I would keep a close eye on is the Titans. Gruden has strong family ties to Tennessee and he was courted heavily by the University of Tennessee a few years back. The Titans could end up sold in the next 12 months, and having a rock-star coach would be a great asset to boost the value of the franchise and its media profile, and any new owner might want Gruden anyway," La Canfora writes.
Of course, Gruden just signed a massive extension to remain in the broadcast booth for ESPN through 2021, so it's unlikely he'd want to give up all the glad-handing and relaxed chatting with Mike Tirico for the long hours and intensity of a return to coaching.
Then again, once you've tasted elite-level competition, it's likely difficult to walk away, so there's no saying Gruden won't find his way back to the sidelines eventually.
There's also the fact that current head coach Ken Whishenhunt and GM Ruston Webster just selected quarterback Marcus Mariota with the second-overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft to consider though. With the move, the two embattled Tennessee execs presumably bought themselves another season or two of leniency from Titans CEO Tommy Smith.
Per La Canfora though, it's Mariota's very presence, along with the lack of a high-ranking personnel man, which may draw Gruden to the Titans job.
"The team has had a vacancy at the team president position -- anywhere Gruden lands he would mandate more or less control of the football operations -- and Gruden is highly enamored with quarterback Marcus Mariota, who the franchise just selected second overall. Having a quarterback in place would be a key element to luring the offensive guru."
After several down seasons, capped by last year's dismal 2-14 effort, Whisenhunt and Webster will be under pressure to turn around a Tennessee franchise that hasn't been relevant since 2008.
While projecting Gruden to the Titans before the 2015 offseason really even gets underway is a little silly, there's simply no doubting he'd likely seem a good fit for a Tennessee team whose base of talent continues to grow and a Titans fanbase desperate for a winner.
