NFL wants rehearing after Nevada Supreme Court decision in Jon Gruden suit

Attorneys for the NFL are asking the Nevada Supreme Court to reconsider its decision last month that former Raiders coach Jon Gruden could not be forced into arbitration.

The NFL lawyers said in a Monday filing that the high court “committed several errors that threaten arbitration agreements across a host of industries” and should conduct a rehearing.

Gruden sued the league and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in 2021, arguing the leaked emails he wrote had pushed the Raiders to fire him. He sought damages for tortious interference with his contract with the Raiders, negligence and civil conspiracy.

Gruden resigned as Raiders coach after news reports about his racist, misogynist and anti-LGBTQ emails. The NFL has denied leaking the emails.

Attorneys for Gruden did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday evening.

The NFL argued that the consequences of the Supreme Court’s prior ruling could be serious.

“Every sophisticated party that incorporates industry rules or bylaws into a negotiated contract will face uncertainty over whether Nevada courts will honor its choice, while any employee wishing to escape agreed-upon arbitration need only resign before filing suit,” the league’s attorneys wrote. “Worse still, leagues, unions, and other associations that rely on uniform dispute-resolution regimes will be forced either to litigate piecemeal across jurisdictions or jettison longstanding internal procedures altogether.”

Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BrighamNoble on X.