Jul 16, 2026, 9:30 PM CUT

Jon Gruden makes a head-turning claim about NFL QBs & takes a dig at college athletes

TAMPA, FL - AUGUST 07: Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl winning Head Coach Jon Gruden visits with friends during the Titans - Buccaneers Joint Training Camp work out on August 07, 2025 at the AdventHealth Training Center at One Buccaneer Place in Tampa, Florida. Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire NFL, American Football Herren, USA AUG 07 Tennessee Titans - Tampa Bay Buccaneers Joint Training Camp EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon357250807009

Speaking on the Not Just Football with Cam Heyward podcast, legendary coach Jon Gruden argued that too many quarterbacks rely on sideline instructions instead of recognizing defenses and communicating adjustments themselves.

“I’m worried about the game, to be honest with you," Gruden said on the Not Just Football with Cam Heyward podcast. “A lot of people think the game is evolving. I think the game is dissolving.”

Gruden explained that quarterback play is trending in the wrong direction. He argued that quarterbacks are losing the responsibility of making pre-snap reads, weakening the position overall.

“We’re just not communicating. I always use these three letters ‘RCE.’ You got to recognize the defense, recognize the coverage, and then you start to communicate," Gruden added at Not Just Football with Cam Heyward podcast (YouTube @NotJustFootballwithCamHeyward).

September 21, 2025, Tampa, Florida, USA: Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden walks off the field after the 50th season ceremony during halftime of the game against the New York Jets on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025 in Tampa. Tampa USA - ZUMAs70_ 20250921_zan_s70_119 Copyright: xLuisxSantanax Tampa USA - ZUMA0834 20250921_zan_s70_119 Copyright: xIMAGO/LuisxSantanax

In Gruden's view, today's QBs depend on predetermined calls instead of reading coverages and changing protections or routes. Gruden believes mastering those communication skills is essential for consistently executing an offense at the highest level.

According to Gruden, recognizing the defense allows quarterbacks to adjust protections, change plays, or exploit favorable matchups before the snap. These decisions separate elite quarterbacks from the rest.

The former NFL coach won Super Bowl XXXVII with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was recognized through ESPN's QB Camp, where he evaluated many of the NFL's top QB prospects before the draft.

He also took a swipe at a college football player.

Jon Gruden blames college football for the weak performance of quarterbacks

In the same podcast, Gruden further argued that modern quarterbacks' issues stem from college, as he believes that what is supposed to be the foundation of QBs is not teaching accountability.

“A lot of these guys are on four or five different colleges,” Gruden told Heyward. “I mean, they transfer from one college to another. There’s no continuity, and you know repetition is the mother of learning."

Gruden pointed to his own experience as proof of what consistency can do for a player's development

"You had to get into the same stance, do the same drills, and the same defense for a period of years. And that’s how you master the techniques,” Gruden added.

Gruden argued that many quarterbacks arrive in the NFL without mastering the fundamentals of commanding an offense because college systems rely heavily on sideline signals rather than pre-snap recognition and adjustments.

Written by

Hetal Moleshri

Edited by

Rudra Dubey