CNN—

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have decided to reinstate former head coach Jon Gruden into the team’s Ring of Honor, nearly four years after his initial removal.

“Jon Gruden was first inducted into the Buccaneers Ring of Honor due to his numerous achievements during his seven seasons as our head coach, and he continues to be a pivotal figure in our franchise’s history,” said the team in a statement released on Thursday. “After careful consideration, we have chosen to restore him to the Buccaneers Ring of Honor.”

Gruden faced significant backlash in October 2021, which led to his resignation from the Las Vegas Raiders. This turn of events followed the revelation of his use of homophobic, racist, and misogynistic remarks in emails dating back to his time as an analyst at ESPN.

As the franchise’s most successful coach, Gruden recorded a coaching record of 57-55 while leading the team to three playoff berths over seven seasons. After joining the Buccaneers from the then-Oakland Raiders in a high-profile trade in 2002, he guided Tampa Bay to its inaugural Super Bowl championship in his first season.

Gruden was originally honored with a place in the Ring of Honor in 2017 but had his name removed from the honors displayed at Raymond James Stadium in 2021.

At the time of his removal, the Buccaneers stated that his actions were “inconsistent with our core values as an organization.”

Following the emergence of Gruden’s controversial language, there were calls for his termination, particularly after The Wall Street Journal revealed his usage of racially charged language towards former NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith in a 2011 email.

An NFL representative later informed CNN that the email exposed by the Wall Street Journal was part of a broader NFL investigation into workplace misconduct at the Washington Football Team that had occurred earlier that summer.

As reported by ESPN, Gruden and the Buccaneers began to reconcile their relationship last summer at a memorial service for former defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, who passed away at the age of 84.

During the ceremony, Kiffin’s son, Lane Kiffin, head coach at Ole Miss, spoke about his father’s belief in offering forgiveness and second chances, a sentiment that reportedly struck a chord with the Glazer family, who own the Buccaneers.

Following this, the Glazers invited Gruden and his wife Cindy to attend a home game against the San Francisco 49ers on November 10 from their owner’s suite, according to ESPN.

“I had the opportunity to reconnect with the Buccaneers at a game this past season,” Gruden shared in a statement to the Tampa Bay Times on Thursday. “Some of my fondest memories were created at Raymond James Stadium with the Bucs; it’s an incredible feeling and a great honor to be back.”

Following his resignation, Gruden filed a lawsuit against the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell, claiming they sought to tarnish his career and reputation through a deliberate campaign.

At that time, NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy responded to CNN, stating, “The allegations lack merit, and the NFL will vigorously defend against these claims.”

Although the source of the leaked emails is unidentified, the lawsuit alleges that the NFL leaked them with the intent to harm Gruden, while other details about the investigation into the Washington football team remained undisclosed.

The lawsuit is still active, with the Nevada Supreme Court ruling in October 2024 that it would review findings after a panel was split 2-1 in a previous decision to dismiss the case, according to reports from the Associated Press.