LAS VEGAS — It was a strange and beautiful night at Allegiant Stadium. The Raiders opened up their $1.9 billion stadium in front of no fans, Derek Carr thoroughly outplayed Drew Brees, the Raiders won and are 2-0 … and Jon Gruden said he had COVID-19.
The Raiders coach said it on the last question of his postgame Zoom news conference and then exited stage left, with reporters like myself hitting the “unmute” and “raise hand” buttons in vain.
“I’ve had the virus. I’m doing my best,” Gruden said, when asked about not always wearing his mask on the sideline. “I’m very sensitive about it.”
There would be no follow-ups to the bombshell and Gruden didn’t reply to my texts afterward. He did text the Bay Area News Group’s Jerry McDonald that he had the virus in mid-July and wasn’t planning to go public with it.
It was a bizarre end to a 34-24…
