Jon Gruden is finding his return to NFL coaching a difficult task after leading the Raiders to an 0-3 start this season.
The Raiders controversially sent defensive leader Khalil Mack to the Bears just before the regular season started. Chicago has started the season 2-1, while Oakland is winless.
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Gruden admitted Monday that trading away an important player like Mack sent a mixed signal to his other players.
“Yeah, it’s hard. It’s hard to trade one of the best players on your franchise. It’s hard. It’s hard on the players," Gruden said (via the Las Vegas Review-Journal). "We didn’t get anything for him that’s going to help us this year.”
Jon Gruden on balance between building for long term with his competitive instinct to win now: “Yeah, it’s hard. It’s hard to trade one of the best players on your franchise. It’s hard. It’s hard on the players. We didn’t get anything for him that’s going to help us this year.”
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) September 24, 2018
Oakland received first round picks from the Bears in both the 2019 and 2020 NFL Drafts, but like Gruden said, that won't help them this season. The Raiders are three games behind the Chiefs in the NFC West, and they have lost their last two games by just nine combined points, meaning better times could be on the horizon.