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‘Skins scoop: Head coach Jay Gruden ends season unsure of his future with team

Posted at 8:15 PM, Dec 31, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-31 20:16:31-05

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. – After a 6-3 start to the 2018 season got derailed by injuries and off-the-field drama, Redskins fans want answers, and solutions.

Jay Gruden. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)

Whether, it’s Dan Snyder, Bruce Allen, or Jay Gruden, fans want someone gone. According to multiple reports, Gruden is likely safe for another season after a second straight 7-and-9 finish.

In five seasons under Gruden, the Redskins have only had two winning seasons, and no playoff wins.

While six coaches got canned on “Black Monday”, Gruden had nothing new to announce between the time Sunday’s loss to the Eagles concluded, to when he started answering questions at the season-ending press conference. The team also made no official announcement on Gruden’s future with the team.

“I haven’t had any talks yet. I have no idea when they will take place, but I know they will take place,” Gruden said.

“I just have to wait and kind of see what happens. It is a tough business. A lot of good coaches have been let go already and there will be a lot more I’m sure here in the next couple days and weeks. So, moving forward if I am fortunate enough to be here I feel really good about the nucleus of players that we have.”

While he backed his coaching personnel, Gruden did say everything isn’t kosher after this season.

Jay Gruden. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)

“We do have to address some things without a doubt. When you are 7-9, whether you have injuries or not it is not good enough for this franchise. I know Mr. Snyder demands greatness from him staff and his players and we didn’t deliver this year, so we have to figure out ways to get better from a coaching staff standpoint first and then from a player’s standpoint.”

 Washington lost a harvest of starters to the injured reserve again this season, finishing with a tally of 24 players shut down to end the year.

“It’s really hard. Everybody is pointing the finger at the training staff or the strength staff. We have the best strength staff in football and I feel really good about them,” Gruden said. “They have nothing to do with a blown out knee or a torn pec or a pulled hamstring or an oblique or a foot or a toe. I mean we had every body part covered this year and it is nobody’s fault, but we will do our due diligence and try to figure out why it’s happening to us two years in a row.

Since Snyder took over ownership of the team in 1999, the team has had seven head coaches, with Gruden lasting the longest at five, maybe six seasons.