Redskins head coach Jay Gruden confirmed to return for 2019

Jay Gruden will officially return to the Redskins for his sixth season as the head coach in 2019.

Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden has had an on-again, off-again affair with the hot seat for three years now. With the 2018 season now in the books, he appears to have survived a close encounter once more.

Gruden came into the 2018 season with the pressure to win now on his shoulders, and he didn’t shy away from it. After trading for Alex Smith and cementing a solid roster via the 2018 NFL Draft, Gruden felt confident in his roster, and he stated in the 2018 offseason that the Redskins aimed to win now, not later.

For a time, Gruden’s goals came to fruition. His Redskins team rocketed out to a 6-3 start behind the steely resolve of Alex Smith, with time of possession offense and opportunistic defense reigning supreme. But after Smith was lost to an injury, Gruden’s formula fell apart, and the Redskins stumbled to a 7-9 finish.

Gruden is now 35-44-1 in five seasons with the Washington Redskins, and 0-1 in the playoffs with his best mark coming in 2015, when his team won the NFC East with a record of 9-7. Consecutive 7-9 seasons never bode well for a coach and his job security, but per J.P. Finlay of NBC Sports Mid-Atlantic, Gruden is safe for at least another year. He’s been told that he will be returning as the Redskins head coach.

Gruden’s tenure in D.C. has been the subject of controversy in many circles. On one hand, he’s elevated the Redskins from their perennial bottom dwelling ways of the past, keeping them in the playoff conversation for years on end, despite unsavory circumstances. His players respect him, and he’s been a piece of stability under a front office known for its tumult.

On the other hand, however, Gruden has not proven that he can elevate his squad to the level necessary to truly compete. His scheme has shown signs of aging amidst a modernizing NFL, and his perceived inability to adjust hinders the team in some respects. Periodic blowouts call into question Gruden’s laid-back leadership approach, and while he’s good enough to keep the Redskins from rounding out the rear, many question whether he’ll ever be a consistent winner.

Whatever the case, however, the debates will rage on for at least another season. Gruden will be back with the Redskins in 2019, after another injury-riddled campaign in 2018. Updates on other coaches, such as Greg Manusky, will be given when they are available.