TAMPA, Fla. — Former Bucs head coach Jon Gruden was back at Raymond James Stadium Sunday, and his name may be returned to the franchise’s Ring of Honor.

Gruden was a guest of the Glazer family, which owns the team, and was set to watch the game against the 49ers from their sky suite.

“It was very special for (my wife) Cindy and I to be back in Raymond James Stadium to watch the Buccaneers,” Gruden said in a statement obtained by the Tampa Bay Times. “Thank you to the Glazer family. It was great reuniting with them, and we had the best seats in the house. We have great memories of our time with the Buccaneers. We were honored to be there and will continue to cheer them on.”

In 2021, the Bucs announced they were removing the Super Bowl 37-winning coach from their Ring of Honor, a day after he resigned as Raiders coach following the release of offensive emails.

The split between Gruden and the Glazer family began shortly after his firing. Reports from the Wall Street Journal and New York Times detailed Gruden’s use of racist, homophobic and misogynistic terms in emails dating back to 2010.

“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have advocated for purposeful change in the areas of race relations, gender equality, diversity and inclusion for many years,” a team statement read at the time. “While we acknowledge Jon Gruden’s contributions on the field, his actions go against our core values as an organization. Therefore, he will no longer continue to be a member of the Buccaneers Ring of Honor.”

But time heals, and on Sunday Gruden was on the field at Raymond James taking pictures with the Glazer family and some of his former players, including quarterback Brad Johnson, safety and now 49ers general manager John Lynch, and Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Ronde Barber.

While no announcement has been made, it’s fair to speculate the appearance could lead to a complete reconciliation.

The tipping point may have come during the celebration of life for former Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin in July. Both Gruden and members of the Glazer family were in attendance.

Kiffin’s son, Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin, spoke passionately about how his father believed in giving players and coaches second chances.

Apparently, that may have struck a chord with the Bucs owners, leading to Sunday’s events.

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