AAF Report: Jon Gruden Joins Jeff Fisher In AF1 Ownership

The Super Bowl champion head coach is involved in pro football decision-making once again.

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ARENA FOOTBALL A FAMILY AFFAIR FOR JON GRUDEN

Jon Gruden has returned to pro football. The former NFL head coach has joined the ranks of the Arena Football One, as a co-owner of the Nashville Kats. In a role that is being termed as ‘consultant and advisor,’ the 61-year old Gruden will have a say in all aspects of the team’s football and business operations, according to the official announcement by Kats president and AF1 commissioner Jeff Fisher (pictured with Gruden below courtesy of TMZ).

Unable to land an NFL opportunity after being fired midway through the 2021 season by the Las Vegas Raiders due to inappropriate language (racist and sexist) used during email exchanges, the Kats are the first team to provide Gruden a chance to be directly involved in organizational team building once again.

The Gruden family is no stranger to the indoor arena. In fact, Jon’s brother, Jay Gruden, was an Arena Football League (AFL) legend, winning six championships as a player/coach before a stint as head coach of the then Washington Redskins (2014-2019). Jay, also served as the offensive coordinator for the original Nashville Kats in 1997, owned by Bud Adams of the Tennessee Titans.

“Obviously, I followed all of Jay’s playing and coaching days in Arena Football and knew how much he enjoyed all those years,” Gruden said. “I look forward to having that same kind of excitement with the Nashville Kats.”

Will this be the start of something bigger for Gruden, such as a return to the NFL? Only time will tell. In the meantime, the Kats currently sit at 3-3 with four more games remaining in the regular season. Their next opponent will be the Oregon Lightning on May 24th at Nashville Kia Center.

LUPOTI GOES FROM IFL-TO-NFL

Last week, we highlighted Bentley safety Sal Lupoti, who starred for the Massachusetts Pirates of the Indoor Football League. This week, he signed with the New England Patriots and reported to NFL rookie camp. The 5-foot-9 tackle machine will have an opportunity to earn his way to August training camp and compete for a roster spot. It proves that playing somewhere, anywhere, is much better than sitting at home on a couch. Got talent? The NFL scouts will find you!

ONE TO WATCH: PACKERS SIGN ‘CANADA CANNON’

Often times, a good agent can help a player on the fringe get discovered. Take the path traveled by Wilfred Laurier quarterback Taylor Elgersma. The ‘Canada Cannon,’ who threw for 4,252 passing yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior, finally scored an. NFL contract but it didn’t come without numerous pro workouts. The 6-foot-5, 227-pound Elgersma attended the lower-tier Tropical Bowl, earning MVP honors of the ‘Stardom Scrimmage.’ From there, he would be invited to the Senior Bowl, where he held his own and was exposed to all 32 decision-makers.

Still, there was reservation on the Northern import, despite spending two training camps with the Toronto Argonauts and one with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL, while he was still in college. It would take a rookie mini-camp tryout for Elgersma to convince the Green Bay Packers to ink him to an official contract. Reports indicate that team brass was ‘blown away’ by his performance. File the name for the memory bank, as Green Bay will seek to develop Elgersma slowly. You can learn more about the talented gunslinger in our interview from March on the NFL DraftCast Show.

MORE NORTH OF THE BORDER HOPEFULS IN NFL CAMP

Another player making an attempt to level up from CFL-to-NFL, is University of Montreal pass-rusher Jeremiah Ojo, who attended New York Giants rookie camp on a tryout basis. The 6-foot-2, 246-pound London native timed 4.59 in the forty-yard dash, along with a 35-inch vertical jump at the CFL Combine and was recently selected with the seventh overall pick in the CFL Draft by the Toronto Argonauts. Ojo registered 17 tackles for loss, including 14.5 sacks in 24 collegiate games. No word yet if a guaranteed contract will be offered. If not, he’ll report for CFL duty.

Two other CFL Draft selections were invited to NFL rookie camps, including 6-foot-3, 280-pound defensive lineman Ali Saad and 6-foot-3, 240-pound linebacker Devon Veresuk, both from Windsor. For Saad, the sixth overall selection by the Saskatchewan Roughriders who played at Bowling Green, he attended camp with the San Francisco 49ers, while Veresuk, who was taken second overall by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, was at the Indianapolis Colts camp.

ANOTHER UFL SPECIAL TEAMS STANDOUT EMERGES

Looking for the next ‘ALT Football-to-NFL’ story? Check out St. Louis Battlehawks kicker Rodrigo Blankenship of the UFL. The ‘Hot Rod’ is off to a perfect start through seven games, nailing all 16 of his field goal attempts, including five from beyond fifty yards, including a long of 56 yards. The Georgia product spent parts of three seasons in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts. An invite to an NFL training camp almost feels inevitable. The UFL has had plenty of success helping special teams players land in the NFL. Previously, we have seen kickers Brandon Aubrey (Cowboys) and Jake Bates (Lions), along with kick returner Kavontae Turpin (Cowboys), go from spring league-to-NFL. Blankeship is a solid bet to be next.

TUNE-IN: SERRITELLA ON SPORTS RAGE

(Tune-in Above —» To the 1-hour mark for REAL Football Talk with Ric Serritella)

UFL POWER RANKINGS

In what was an absolute barn-burner, Michigan upended Arlington with some late-game officiating help. A win in such dramatic fashion should help propel the Panthers. Meanwhile, the Renegades are still holding onto a playoff spot and are capable of playing Cinderella in the big dance. It also came down to the final moments between Birmingham and Houston, as the Stallions remain the team to beat in the UFL. However, the Roughnecks are the most improved team since the start of the season. San Antonio made vast strides this past weekend but were unable to nab the win against DC and the Memphis offense was putrid during a loss against St. Louis. This week, the Battlehawks host the Stallions in the marquee matchup of the week.

RANK || TEAM || RECORD

1. Birmingham Stallions (5-2)

2. Michigan Panthers (5-2)

3. St. Louis Battlehawks (5-2)

4. DC Defenders (5-2)

5. Arlington Renegades (3-4)

6. Houston Roughnecks (3-4)

7. Memphis Showboats (1-6)

8. San Antonio Brahmas (1-6)

UFL QUARTERBACK RANKINGS

The late-game heroics of one Bryce Perkins may have been his ‘MVP Moment.’ The Michigan signal-caller tossed 231 passing yards and gaining another 60 rushing yards, accounting for two touchdowns and no interceptions in a come-from-behind victory over Arlington. Perkins would out-duel the ‘King of the Spring,’ Luis Perez who had 314 passing yards and two touchdowns. However, Perez demonstrated the ability to avoid the rush, step up in the pocket and throw accurately on the move on several occasions throughout the game, which has not necessarily been an area of strength in years past. DC quarterback Jordan Ta’amu had 278 passing yards and a trio of touchdown passes during the DC win over San Antonio. For San Antonio, 32-year old Kevin Hogan showed signs of life in his second start. Jalan McClendon struggled against one of the mightier defenses, tossing for 167 yards and one touchdown, in a near-upset against Birmingham, who is down to their fifth quarterback in Case Cookus. The veteran spring signal-caller threw for 199 yards with one touchdown and one interception. In a relatively ho-hum game between St, Louis (Max Duggan) and Memphis (Dresser Winn), both quarterbacks were rather pedestriain.

RANK || PLAYER || TEAM

1. Bryce Perkins, Michigan

2. Luis Perez, Arlington

3. Jordan Ta’amu, DC

4. Dresser Winn, Memphis

5. Jalan McClendon, Houston

6. Max Duggan, St. Louis

7. Kevin Hogan, San Antonio

8. Nolan Henderson, Houston

9. Alex McGough, Birmingham

10. Matt Corral, Birmingham

IFL POWER RANKINGS

The Quad City Steamwheelers were dealt their first loss of the season by the Green Bay Blizzard who have been on the upswing in recent weeks. No one is hotter than the Arizona Rattlers right now, who come off a huge victory over the Bay Area Panthers, while the Tulsa Oilers continue to roll, as one of the largest draws of the league from an attendance standpoint. However, this past weekend, the Arizona Rattlers drew 9,000 fans. This weekend, Tulsa travels to Quad City to face a ticked off Steamwheelers team led by head coach Cody Ross.

RANK || TEAM || RECORD

1. Quad City Steamwheelers (6-1)

2. Arizona Rattlers (5-1)

3. Bay Area Panthers (4-2)

4. Tulsa Oilers (4-2)

5. Vegas Knight Hawks (4-2)

6. Jacksonville Sharks (4-2)

7. Green Bay Blizzard (4-4)

8. Tucson Sugar Skulls (3-3)

9. San Diego Strike Force (3-3)

10. Fisher’s Freight (2-4)

IFL QUARTERBACK RANKINGS

Arizona quarterback Dalton Snead was efficient during their upset win over Bay Area, throwing for five touchdowns and running for two more, as he makes his season debut on the QB Power Rankings List. The Tulsa squad is built for the long run and will likely go as far as quarterback TJ Edwards will guide them. Edwards is dominating the league in a major way, accounting for eight touchdowns last weekend in a shootout against Iowa. For the Barnstormers, slingshot signal-caller James Cahoon showed off his big-time arm, tossing five touchdowns in his own right. Meanwhile, a Tulsa win over Quad City this week, would likely make Edwards the favorite as IFL MVP.

RANK || PLAYER || TEAM

1. TJ Edwards, Tulsa

2. Max Meylor, Green Bay

3. Dalton Sneed, Arizona

4. James Cahoon, Iowa

5. Josh Jones, Bay Area

6. Jorge Reyna, Tuscan

7. Nate Davis, San Diego

8. Malik Henry, San Antonio

9. Kaleb Barker, Jacksonville

10. Daquan Neal, Quad City

NFL POWER RANKINGS

[NO CHANGE FROM LAST WEEK] The NFL offseason has come and gone, while rookie minicamps have begun. It’s time to assess how free agency and the draft have shaped the top of the NFL landscape. It’s true, the Super Bowl champion Eagles did lose quite a bit of ammunition but they were able to sustain enough of their core to be fit for another deep run. So long that Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes are paired together in Kansas City, it would appear that the Chiefs have a shot every year. Could this be the year that the Baltimore Ravens or Buffalo Bills can finally get over the hump? Or, will we see a new contender rise in the ranks such as the Chargers, who have done as much as anyone to rebuild the franchise over the past two seasons. Meanwhile, the Commanders have seemed to push all the right buttons and would appear to be on the brink of contention, as they look to join the likes of the Rams and Lions for the right to represent the NFC.

RANK || TEAM

1. Philadelphia Eagles

2. Kansas City Chiefs

3. Washington Commanders

4. Los Angeles Chargers

5. Los Angeles Rams

6. Baltimore Ravens

7. Buffalo Bills

8. Detroit Lions

9. Denver Broncos

10. Cincinnati Bengals

NFL QUARTERBACK RANKINGS

[NO CHANGE FROM LAST WEEK] The stats may not say it but Patrick Mahomes is still the best quarterback on the planet. Nobody does more with less and while the Chiefs fell just short of the three-peat, getting there alone was quite the feat in itself. One key stat that does matter is Mahomes’ dominant 4-0 postseason record over Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. A closer look at the most important position in sports reveals that few Super Bowl champion starting quarterbacks remain in the NFL. The Aaron Rodgers saga in Pittsburgh remains an abyss, while Russell Wilson has become a placeholder for New York Giants first round pick Jaxson Dart. Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Hurts just earned his first ring, while 37-year old Matthew Stafford gives the Los Angeles Rams a chance to win on any given Sunday.

RANK || PLAYER || TEAM

1. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs

2. Josh Allen, Bills

3. Lamar Jackson, Ravens

4. Joe Burrow, Bengals

5. Jalen Hurts, Eagles

6. Matthew Stafford, Rams

7. Jayden Daniels, Commanders

8. Justin Herbert, Chargers

9. Brock Purdy, 49ers

10. Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers

CFL POWER RANKINGS

[NO CHANGE FROM LAST WEEK] The 112th Grey Cup will be held on November 16, 2025 in Winnipeg but the journey begins now. As you read this message, players are reporting at the nine various training camp locations across Canada from BC-to-Montreal. Fueled by assistant general manager John Murphy, the defending champion Toronto Argonauts added their 19th Grey Cup to the trophy case last season and enter as the favorites once again. Few teams work the waiver wire as well as Montreal general manager Danny Maciocia, as he has the Alouettes locked in one of the supreme organizations. In Hamilton, a new front office regime is in tact behind general manager Ted Goveia, as optimism is high for the Ti-Cats. While age and kinks have started to show, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers should never be counted out, as assistant general manager Danny McManus never leaves a stone unturned.

RANK || PLAYER || TEAM

1. Toronto Argonauts

2. Montreal Alouettes

3. Hamilton Tiger Cats

4. Winnipeg Blue Bombers

5. BC Lions

6. Ottawa Redblacks

7. Edmonton Elks

8. Calgary Stampeders

9. Saskatchewan Roughriders

10. Atlantic Schooners

CFL QUARTERBACK RANKINGS

[NO CHANGE FROM LAST WEEK] It was a season filled with turmoil for 2023 Most Outstanding Player Chad Kelly, who started the season with a nine game suspension and suffered a gruesome leg injury during the CFL playoffs. The Argonauts are expecting to have Kelly back for training camp after he broke the tibia and fibula bones last November. While health questions remain, Kelly is the finest quarterback in the league, when healthy. A well-accomplished gunslinger, Vernon Adams Jr. is hoping that a fresh start in Calgary can help jumpstart him towards his first career Grey Cup. He can really air it out and should help turn around the state of the Stampeders, who also signed journeyman PJ Walker to groom as a backup. Taking over the full-time reins for Adams Jr. in BC will be Nathan Rourke, who appeared to be rusty in his return up north after bouncing around several NFL practice squads the past two seasons. In fact, there was plenty of musical chairs this offseason, as Cody Fajardo goes from Montreal-to-Edmonton to backup Tre Ford and McLeod Bethel-Thompson was dealt from Edmonton-to-Montreal to be the backup for Davis Alexander. All of whom are sure to be called on at some point during the season.

RANK || PLAYER || TEAM

1. Chad Kelly, Toronto

2. Vernon Adams Jr., Calgary

3. Bo Levi Mitchell, Hamilton

4. Nathan Rourke, BC

5. Trevor Harris, Saskatchewan

6. Zach Collaros, Winnipeg

7. McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Montreal

8. Davis Alexander, Montreal

9. Tre Ford, Edmonton

10. Dru Brown, Ottawa

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