Shad Khan offers bizarre clarification about Urban Meyer firing

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan issued a rather strange statement Friday night clarifying the timing of his decision to fire Urban Meyer as head coach.

Khan issued a statement Friday through his PR representative asserting that the owner’s decision to fire Meyer did not come in response to former kicker Josh Lambo alleging that Meyer had kicked him prior to a preseason game. Khan claimed instead that he had made the decision to fire Meyer on Sunday night, but the owner waited to make the announcement public until after an NFL owners’ meeting.

Statement by Jim Woodcock, PR rep of #Jaguars owner Shad Khan, refuting reports saying Lambo kicking allegations triggered Urban Meyer firing. Decision was actually made Sunday night, waited until after NFL owners meeting late Wednesday night to announce Meyer dismissal.

— Eugene Frenette (@GeneFrenette) December 18, 2021

On Saturday, a very unflattering report detailed Meyer’s interactions with players and staff and caused great embarrassment for the Jaguars. Still, Khan publicly stood by Meyer, though there were definitely hints that the coach’s future was uncertain. The fact that Meyer’s firing went public just hours after Lambo made his statement led many to conclude that that was the last straw for Khan.

The notion that Khan decided to leave Meyer hanging as long as he did does not make sense if the decision was made on Sunday. That would mean Khan simply stood by and let Meyer look silly at his press conference while biding his time and waiting to make the decision public. That’s just strange, and for that reason, Khan’s statement probably isn’t going to win a lot of believers.

Photo: Oct 17, 2021; London, England, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan (Shahid Khan) watches from the sidelines during an NFL International Series game against the Miami Dolphins at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports