There was a familiar face from the 2002 Bucs Super Bowl-winning team at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Former head coach Jon Gruden made his first appearance at the stadium after being removed from the team’s Ring of Honor in 2021. Gruden was spotted before the game and given a shoutout on the stadium Jumbotron sitting next to Ron Wolf, the Hall of Fame executive who was the team’s first general manager from 1976 to 1978.

Of note, he was sitting in the Glazers’ suite as a guest of honor after the family removed his name from the venue in 2021 after some e-mails containing offensive language came out years ago. Sunday was a big step in the Glazers forgiving Gruden and welcoming him back as a part of the organization.

This begs the question, could Gruden be inducted back into the Bucs Ring of Honor in the near future?

Jon Gruden Is Putting Himself Back On The NFL Map

Former Bucs CB Ronde Barber, HC Jon Gruden, owner Edward Glazer, S John Lynch, and QB Brad Johnson – Photo courtesy of Jon Gruden

There is no question that Jon Gruden loves football.

He even started a football YouTube channel earlier this year called “Gruden Loves Football.” He has weekly shows that feature game breakdowns where he takes a dry-erase marker and turns a whiteboard into a detailed outline of what to watch for on game day.

It’s a must-watch as he blends his extensive knowledge and passion for the game with his “Gruden’s Glossary,” “Gruden’s Grinders,” what has him feeling “Nicey,” and more.

Gruden has started to build up a large following through this, and the 61-year-old has even floated the possibility that he is open to coaching again.

This all connects back to his appearance at Raymond James Stadium. When he was shown on the Jumbotron, he was received with mostly cheers from the crowd. Gruden went on to share a statement about how grateful he was to be back.

“It was very special for Cindy and I to be back in Raymond James Stadium to watch the Buccaneers,” Gruden said. “Thank you to the Glazer family. It was great reuniting with them and we had the best seats in the house. We have great memories of our time with the Buccaneers. We were honored to be there and will continue to cheer them on.”

His reconciliation with the Glazer family and warm reception from fans re-opens the door of whether he might return to the Bucs Ring of Honor. It would be another step in the NFL world welcoming him back, although there still might be push-back.

Tony Dungy Weighed In On Jon Gruden’s Ring Of Honor Removal In 2023

Former Raiders HC Jon Gruden and QB Derek Carr – Photo by: USA Today

There is no making light of Jon Gruden’s e-mails which not only got him removed from the Bucs Ring of Honor but cost his head coaching job with the Raiders in the middle of his 10-year, $100 million contract in 2021. One cannot erase the past, whether good or bad. Gruden’s mural still is on the wall in the Bucs locker room at Raymond James Stadium, while his statue in the lobby at One Bucs Place at the AdventHealth Training Center remains with the others.

His actions were met with consequences, but they should also be met with forgiveness. In his first time publicly speaking since he was fired back in August 2022, Gruden admitted what he did was “shameful” and asked to be forgiven.

“I’m ashamed about what has come about in these e-mails, and I’ll make no excuses for it,” Gruden said then. “It’s shameful. But I am a good person. I believe that. I go to church. I’ve been married for 31 years. I’ve got three great boys. I still love football. I’ve made some mistakes. But I don’t think anybody in here hasn’t. And I just ask for forgiveness, and hopefully, I get another shot.”

Former Bucs head coaches Jon Gruden and Tony Dungy – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy appeared on the Pewter Report Podcast last season and was asked whether the Glazer family did the right thing removing him from the Ring of Honor and shared the thought process behind it.

“It was done quickly, but it wasn’t done without thought,” Dungy said. “A couple of the Glazers reached out to me and kind of told me their thought process in it. The thought process was not that we’re not going to forgive, none of that. The Ring of Honor needs to be special, and there is something in there about honor. Because of that, that’s why they did it. Hopefully, those fences can be mended and Jon would feel the same kind of comfortableness coming back that I’d feel.

“I do understand why they did it and I agreed with it. I agree with you, and I came out on our show and said, ‘Okay, Jon Gruden and these e-mails were ‘X’ number of years ago.’ Shouldn’t have happened, but I’ve done things in my life that I wish I could take back. If someone admits they’re wrong and says, ‘Hey, I’m sorry,’ then we do need to forgive. We do need to move forward from it.”

Dungy originally came out to Gruden’s defense and echoed a similar sentiment.

Gruden’s head coaching predecessor then went on to say he approved of how the situation was handled from Tampa Bay’s side.

“We’re very happy, we’re thankful we won a Super Bowl,” Dungy said from the Bucs’ perspective. “Jon was a big part of it. Ring of Honor is something special and this kind of tainted that honor, so we’re going to remove that. We’re not going to say Jon Gruden didn’t work here and we don’t want to have anything to do with him. I really applaud the way they handled it.”

As Jon Gruden looks to put the past behind him and continues the reconciliation process, his name may once again be put up at Raymond James Stadium immortalizing him with the rest of the franchise’s greatest players, coaches, and owner. At the very least though, Gruden has been welcomed back by ownership and has started to mend relationships within the organization.