Jon Gruden’s lawsuit against the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell has stalled over missing electronic records, with District Judge Joe Hardy indicating he will likely extend the discovery period and postpone the trial currently set for May 2027. Gruden filed suit in 2021 alleging the league leaked emails containing racist, misogynistic and anti-LGBTQ language to force his resignation from the Las Vegas Raiders, a claim the NFL denies.
At a hearing Thursday, Hardy said he was inclined to grant the NFL more time for discovery, noting that Gruden initiated the case and that the process is proceeding at his request over the league’s objection. The judge has previously criticized Gruden’s side for delays and lack of compliance, stating last month, “Mr. Gruden is the plaintiff here. And he has not been in full compliance with discovery rules.” Hardy also awarded the NFL legal fees related to discovery disputes earlier this month.
According to a September status report signed by both sides, Gruden’s attorneys disclosed in late August that his email account contains no messages from before 2025. Counsel stated it “appears likely” the emails were deleted, though Gruden said he did not believe he affirmatively deleted them and did not know why they were unavailable. The NFL also says Gruden’s text messages before 2021 are largely missing, citing only 96 threads from 2021 compared to about 2,000 from 2025 and 2026.
League attorneys argue that key evidence has been lost or destroyed, writing that “every email he sent or received before 2025 is gone.” Gruden’s lawyers counter that he has mostly completed document production and that the “unexpectedly unavailable” personal emails are not central to the case because he used a Raiders account until his termination. Gruden attorney Adam Hosmer-Henner told the court Thursday that his firm has produced records for NFL forensic examiners.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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