We're not just talking about Jon Gruden's issue here only. What about all the comedians who now have subjects that are now off-limits to them (see Dave Chappelle), it's only a matter of time before that bleeds over into music, movies, etc. Goya Foods was boycotted because the CEO did nothing more than praise Donald Trump. Washington/Lincoln/Jefferson all had their names removed from public schools in San Francisco for "ties to racism" and "dishonorable legacies" for no other reason than they were a product of their time.
You can't apply the thinking today to things that happened in the past or even distant past, people at that time did not think the same way they do now. To me, cancel culture does exist. Maybe not in Jon Grudens case, but there are many instances of the punishment not fitting the crime. We've just made it so much easier wreck someone's life. Nowadays if someone has a differing opinion with someone else we just throw the entire person away with little thought to it, "Oh well, f&*k'em!" Sorry, I think people's lives are worth more than that. People should be allowed to mess up and be given a chance to redeem themselves. If they aren't being given the chance to do that, it's called Cancel Culture.