ASHBURN, Va. (AP) Amid an offseason of potential upheaval, the Washington Redskins have made an investment in continuity by signing coach Jay Gruden to a multiyear contract extension.
Gruden was going into the fourth year of a five-year contract. The team announced the extension after Gruden and other team officials returned from the NFL combine.
The 50-year-old is the first coach to have his contract extended by Dan Snyder, who has owned the team for 18 years. Gruden is the eighth head coach over that time.
The Redskins missed the playoffs last season after losing in the NFC wild-card game in 2015. They’re 21-26-1 in three seasons under Gruden, who does not have a playoff victory.
Extending Gruden’s contract comes during an uncertain offseason for the Redskins, who could lose starting receivers DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon in free agency and have placed the franchise tag on quarterback Kirk Cousins for the second consecutive year. General manager Scot McCloughan also did not attend the combine last week, with a team saying he was taking care of family matters.
When McCloughan was named GM, Gruden was already on staff. The coach was hired by president Bruce Allen.
Gruden, who celebrated a birthday Saturday, has said in self-evaluations of himself that he should be judged on wins and losses.
”Going 9-7 and winning the division last year, 9-8 after losing the playoff game to 8-7-1, you know, we’re kind of stuck right here,” Gruden said in January. ”We haven’t been able to get over the hump as far as winning those close games consistently and it’s not easy but we’re going to keep working at it. I have a lot of room for improvement, as do the majority of the people in this building, so as long as we all realize that and understand that and recognize that, there is room and we can do it.”
Gruden has two new coordinators with former quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh promoted to run the offense and outside linebackers coach Greg Manusky promoted to handle the defense.
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