Jay Gruden Is Getting Fired, We Just Don't Know When

Jay Gruden may not make it to Week 4 after the Chicago Bears beat Washington, 31-15. During the Monday Night Football broadcast, Booger McFarland suggested that it could be time for a change in Washington. The results back it up.

Win or lose this week it's not really a question of "if" Gruden be fired, but "when." There were plenty of people surprised that Gruden was back this year after his second consecutive 7-9 season. Washington made the playoffs once under Gruden. That was in 2015. They're certainly not returning to the playoffs this year. Gruden hasn't had a winning season since 2016. He's now 35-48-1 (including that one playoff result) in Washington. This is not a small sample size.

As with any football team, all the responsibility for wins and loses can't truly fall on one person, but coaches and quarterbacks usually take the majority of the blame. The bad news for Gruden is that no one thought journeyman Case Keenum and his one-year deal were the answer. So his five turnovers fall at the feet of one person, and no, it's not Khalil Mack.

Again, it's not completely Gruden's fault, but that doesn't matter. The question is, how long will he last? Gruden came up under Marvin Lewis in Cincinnati. who spent 16 seasons in Cincinnati without a playoff win. If anyone knows how to hold on, its someone from the Lewis coaching tree. Besides, a full season of Gruden should put Washington in perfect position to draft a franchise quarterback next April.

So will Gruden be fired today? Will he be fired after the team's next embarrassing loss? The Patriots come to town in two weeks. Three weeks after that it's a Thursday night in Minnesota. Then there's Thanksgiving in Detroit. Or will he hold on all season as the franchise continues to bottom out? Tune in to find out.