Nov 28, 2012 5 min read

Jon Gruden says he hasn’t received an offer to coach the Tennessee Volunteers in a deal that would include becoming part owner of the Cleveland Browns.

Memphis television station WREG reported Gruden was weighing a Tennessee offer that would give him a piece of the Browns, who are owned by Jimmy Haslam brother of Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam. Their father, Jim Haslam, played on Tennessee’s 1951 national championship team and has donated millions of dollars to the university.

Gruden, a former NFL coach and current ESPN analyst, said Wednesday on ESPN’s “Mike & Mike In The Morning” show that there is “no truth” to the report.

“I like what I’m doing,” said Gruden, who was a graduate assistant with the Volunteers and whose wife Cindy is a former Tennessee cheerleader. “I’m just trying to hang on to the job I have, to be honest with you.” Browns spokesman Neal Gulkis said the report was inaccurate.

“Jimmy Haslam has no involvement in the University of Tennessee head coaching search, and the report that Jon Gruden would potentially have an ownership stake in the Browns is completely erroneous,” Gulkis said.

Tennessee is seeking to replace Derek Dooley, who was fired Nov. 18 after going 15-21 in three seasons.

Volunteers athletic department spokesman Jimmy Stanton said the university would not discuss details of its coaching search.

“We won’t talk about any of the dynamics of the search until it is finalized,” Stanton said.

Gruden, 49, helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win the Super Bowl in the 2002 season. He posted a combined 100-85 record and won five division titles in 11 years as an NFL head coach with the Oakland Raiders (1998-2001) and Tampa Bay (2002-08).

Suh draws fine, not suspension: Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was fined $30,000 by the NFL Wednesday but says he didn’t kick Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub on purpose.

That’s why Suh insisted he doesn’t need to apologize to Schaub.

Suh spoke to reporters Wednesday for the first time since his left cleat connected with Schaub’s groin area in Detroit’s loss to Houston last Thursday.

Suh dodged another suspension from the league, which has fined him instead for his latest questionable move on the field.

His reputation, though, has taken another hit.

The NFL suspended Suh for two games last season after he stomped on Green Bay’s Evan Dietrich-Smith in a Thanksgiving game. Suh said he was sorry to Dietrich-Smith.

Bengals tackle calls Raiders “Cowards:” Bengals offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth called some of the Oakland Raiders “cowards” for hitting him during an on-field skirmish.

Whitworth said Wednesday he hadn’t yet received a fine from the NFL. He expects a significant one later in the week. Whitworth and Raiders linemen Lamarr Houston and Tommy Kelly were ejected in the fourth quarter of Cincinnati’s 34-10 win Sunday.

Whitworth hopes veterans on the Raiders correct teammates who hit him and gouged his eyes during the scrum. “I’d hope there would be guys on their team that would address that, but it is what it is,” Whitworth said. “You’ve got guys that want to make names for themselves and can’t, and then they get frustrated. It’s their opportunity to do something they feel and be tough, but that ain’t tough. Face-to-face is tough.

“Most of those guys, they are what they are – they’re cowards. And if they really wanted to have an issue with you, they’d address you. But they obviously don’t.”

Jacksonville claims Babin: The Jacksonville Jaguars have claimed two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Babin off waivers from Philadelphia.

The Jaguars (2-9) will pay the remaining $1.69 million of Babin’s 2012 salary, essentially taking a low-risk look at someone who could significantly upgrade one of the league’s worst pass rushes.

Jacksonville has a league-low 13 sacks, a glaring weakness on a team filled with holes.

Kaepernick gets another start for 49ers: Colin Kaepernick has earned himself a third straight start at quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers.

Coach Jim Harbaugh made the announcement Wednesday that Kaepernick would go Sunday at St. Louis over Alex Smith after the second-year pro led the NFC West-leading Niners (8-2-1) to victories in the past two games, his first two NFL starts.

“The rationale is we have two quarterbacks that we feel great about as a starting quarterback,” Harbaugh said. “Both have earned it, both deserve it Alex over a long period of time, Colin by virtue of the last three games. It tips the scales. Colin we believe has the hot hand. We’ll go with Colin. And we’ll go with Alex. They’re both our guys.”

Yes, Harbaugh is still leaving open every possibility, saying it still could be a week-to-week decision.

Tebow’s ribs improving: Rex Ryan thinks backup quarterback Tim Tebow will be cleared to play in the New York Jets’ game Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals “like he was last week.”

Ryan has no immediate update on the condition of Tebow, who is dealing with two broken ribs, and adds “we’ll see how he progresses.” The injury is expected to limit Tebow in practice Wednesday and possibly the rest of this week.

He was injured at Seattle Nov. 11, played three offensive snaps the following week at St. Louis and then was active but Ryan kept him on the sideline to be used only in “an emergency” last Thursday night against New England.