Nevada Supreme Court approves Jon Gruden appeal in NFL lawsuit, blocks arbitration
The panel sided with Gruden, 5-2, to thwart the league's plans for a closed-door arbitration.
The Nevada Supreme Court has sided with Jon Gruden in an appeal, marking the latest victory in his ongoing lawsuit against the NFL. The decision, which was made official on Monday, blocks the NFL from sending the case into arbitration.
One of the issues at hand was an arbitration clause in the NFL's constitution, which the league argued kept Gruden from being able to make the lawsuit public. But on Monday, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled 5-2 in favor of the former Las Vegas Raiders coach, finding that the clause is "unconscionable" and does not apply to Gruden, as he is no longer an employee, via NBC's Mike Florio.
Gruden sued the NFL shortly after resigning from the Raiders in 2021, but his latest legal battles have been around the manner of the lawsuit. Gruden has wanted his trial to be public, as part of a quest to expose what he believes were deliberate leaks in the NFL; the league, meanwhile, wanted a closed-door arbitration.
Gruden originally won before a trial court, but a Nevada Supreme Court panel overturned the ruling in May 2024 as part of a lengthy appeal.
Per court documents, Gruden's lawyers filed for a rehearing on the appeal last summer, which was denied. A month later, they filed for an en banc reconsideration, which was granted in October. The panel officially sided with Gruden on Monday.
The NFL has yet to comment on Gruden's latest legal victory, but it is likely that the league will appeal the ruling in the U.S. Supreme Court, which may or may not decide to hear the case.
