After his team fell to 0-5 with Sunday’s 33-7 home loss to the New England Patriots, Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said he’s not concerned about his job security.
“Nobody’s told me anything,” Gruden told reporters. “I don’t have a concern. I’ll just wait and see. If my key works on Monday, keep working, go attack the Miami Dolphins and plan on getting our first win next week.”
Rumors have swirled the last two weeks that Gruden could be fired amid the winless start. Washington had not started 0-5 since 2001 prior to Sunday. Asked if he could consider changes to his staff, Gruden said no.
Gruden joined Washington in 2014 and has gone 35-49-1 in five-plus seasons. Entering this season, he had won at least seven games in four straight years, including a 9-7 campaign in 2015 that saw his team reach the playoffs.
He signed a two-year contract extension in March of 2017, putting him under contract through the 2020 season.
Running back Chris Thompson, who went from a practice-squad player when Gruden arrived to a major contributor over the last five years, became emotional when asked about his coach’s job status in the locker room on Sunday.
“It’s frustrating, of course,” said Thompson, who paused several times while choking up. “It’s something that’s tough to think about with that situation. I really care about Jay and … It’s tough, man.”