It appears the injury-riddled season that played a big role in the Washington Redskins missing the playoffs won't cost coach Jay Gruden his job.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Friday that Gruden isn't in danger of losing his job. A source informed of the situation told Rapoport that the Redskins aren't planning to make major changes this offseason after seeing how Gruden and his staff battled through the rash of injuries which damaged the team's playoff hopes.
The Redskins' injuries woes have been almost biblical in scope. The team has 20 players on injured reserve, including standouts like Jordan Reed, Chris Thompson, Terrelle Pryor, Rob Kelley, Jonathan Allen and Trent Williams. The Redskins also played a portion of the season without star cornerback Josh Norman.
With that list of names, it shouldn't surprise anyone Washington sits at 7-8 heading into Sunday's season finale against the New York Giants. Although Kirk Cousins' production has dipped in the wake of a strong 2016 campaign, it's hard to imagine Gruden getting the boot after such a cataclysmic hit to the roster.
Still, back-to-back seasons of missing the playoffs can't be sitting well with the Redskins' brass. At 28-34-1, Gruden has missed the postseason in three of his four seasons in Landover. While it looks like he'll get another chance to prove himself, no excuse might be good enough to explain a missed playoff berth next year.
