Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan has insisted he is not going to make any rash decisions about Urban Meyer’s future with the team, but the head coach might not be feeling like his job is all that secure in the wake of Khan’s latest remarks.
Khan spoke with reporters on Monday about all the negative headlines his team has generated this season. He said he is not going to act “helter-skelter on emotion.” Khan also noted that he stood by former Jaguars coaches Gus Bradley and Doug Marrone for several years when things weren’t going well, but he the Meyer situation has been different.
“I think we have a history of looking at the facts and doing the right thing,” Khan said, via Mark Long of The Associated Press. “Wins and losses, this is a little bit different. I’m going to reflect on all of that and do what’s the right thing for the team and the right thing for the city.”
It’s notable that Khan said “this is a little bit different.” Past Jaguars teams have piled up losses, but there was never the media frenzy that has followed Meyer. Khan hinted that he will take that into account.
“What concerns me is obviously wins and losses,” Khan said. “But, hey, we’re sitting here, we haven’t had a lot of wins. What’s different about this thing is you have losses and you have drama. In the past, it was like, you were, ‘It’s like the lowly Jaguars’ and everyone left you alone. Now, the scrutiny we have is really something different.”
No one expected Meyer to turn things around for the Jaguars in his first NFL season. That said, there have been plenty of concerning moments that reflect poorly on the coach. Khan has no choice but to take those into consideration.
Some of the scrutiny Meyer has faced is probably unfair, but that might not matter to Khan. If the situation has gotten as bad behind closed doors as some say it has, the Jaguars will need a change sooner rather than later.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have been left reeling after allegations regarding Urban Meyer’s treatment of his players and staff leaked. A new report indicates that coaches who may have leaked information that was the source of the report heard from ownership. The message from ownership seemed to echo Meyer’s.
This might not have been the message Jaguars coaches were hoping to hear. While it wasn’t quite as blunt as Meyer’s message on Sunday, it doesn’t sound like Khan’s message was particularly encouraging, either.
Such a message is especially jarring coming from Meyer, who has won just two NFL games as a head coach. The assistants probably would have liked more backing from Khan than they may have received.
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
It would be an understatement to say that Urban Meyer’s first NFL season has been a rough one, but Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan has given no indication that he is on the verge of firing the coach. According to a new report, that could change if the Jags lose in Week 15.
“If the Jaguars lose to a terrible Houston team next Sunday, I don’t see him surviving,” a source told Pauline.
Jaguars assistant head coach Charlie Strong has been mentioned as a potential candidate to replace Meyer. If the Jaguars lose on Sunday, there’s a belief that Strong could step in as interim head coach, presumably with a chance to land the full-time job during the offseason.
The Jaguars fell to 2-11 with their 20-0 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. They were not expected to be good this year, but the off-field drama has been even more concerning than the product on the field.
According to Pauline, Meyer has “lost everyone in the building” including players, coaches and staff. A report on Saturday made similar claims.
Meyer looked totally checked out after the Titans loss. The Jaguars would have to eat a ton of money if they fired him after less than a year, but you have to wonder how ugly they are willing to let the situation get.
The Jacksonville Jaguars fell to 2-11 on the season after being shutout 20-0 by the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. They had a play at the end of the game that reflected their season.
Receivers Laviska Shenault and Laquon Treadwell landed on top of each other while crossing. Shenault slipped and fell, causing Treadwell to try and hurdle him. But Treadwell ran into Elijah Molden and fell.
S Kevin Byard on Jaguars WRs Shenault & Treadwell colliding:
"I was laughing, to be honest. At the end of the game, guys running into each other. I don’t want to say too much on it but I was talking trash to them a little bit. It’s tough for them boys over there" per @APMarkLongpic.twitter.com/xo6TcDPs6z
Titans Pro Bowl safety Kevin Byard said he had a laugh over the situation.
Titans S Kevin Byard on Jaguars WRs Shenault & Treadwell colliding: "I was laughing, to be honest. At the end of the game, guys running into each other. I don’t want to say too much on it, but I was talking trash to them a little bit. It’s tough for them boys over there."
“I was laughing, to be honest. At the end of the game, guys running into each other. I don’t want to say too much on it, but I was talking trash to them a little bit. It’s tough for them boys over there,” Byard said after the game, via Mark Long.
The Jags have had a long season and it’s not getting much better. Rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence was intercepted four times and went 24/40 for 221 yards. Their running game wasn’t much better as they had eight yards on eight carries.
The Jacksonville Jaguars were blown out again on Sunday, and Urban Meyer could not have looked more defeated after the game. However, the coach did feel fiery enough to issue a threat related to the recent stories that have come out about him and the team.
After his team’s 20-0 loss to the Tennessee Titans, Meyer was asked what can be done to fix the compounding issues the Jaguars seem to have. He made reference to Saturday’s report about the dysfunction between him and his players and coaching staff. Meyer called it “garbage” that information is being leaked. He said any member of the team who acts as a source will be fired on the spot.
Jaguars coach Urban Meyer on fixing what's wrong: "What's the answer? Starting leaking some information or nonsense? That's garbage. … If there is a source, then that source is unemployed. I mean, within seconds."
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network published a report on Saturday that outlined some of the issues Meyer and the Jaguars have had in recent weeks. He wrote about an alleged argument Meyer had with veteran wide receiver Marvin Jones. The report also claimed Meyer has called his assistant coaches “losers” and challenged their resumes. Meyer has since confirmed that he’s hard on his coaching staff, though he denied calling them “losers.” He also said the argument with Jones never happened.
Also, Urban Meyer denied that there was a confrontation with Marvin Jones, or calling coaches losers, but conceded that he's hard on his staff—which, truth be told, has always been the case regardless of where he's been. https://t.co/TLJmS9TTFM
Meyer was so disgusted after Jacksonville’s loss on Sunday that he barely shook Mike Vrabel’s hand (video here). He also gave a one-word answer when a reporter pointed out how bad the Jaguars’ offensive line has played.
A reporter tells #Jaguars HC Urban Meyer that his offensive line is not playing up to how much they’re getting paid.
Urban Meyer was the subject of an unflattering report on Saturday, and the Jacksonville Jaguars coach has surprisingly admitted that some of what was written is true.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network wrote on Saturday that Meyer has had numerous run-ins with players and coaches in recent weeks. The coach reportedly had an argument with Marvin Jones that led to the veteran wide receiver storming out of Jacksonville’s team facility. Meyer is also said to have challenged his assistant coaches by calling them “losers” and asking what they have ever won.
On Sunday, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports said he spoke with Meyer about the report. Meyer denied that he had a heated argument with Jones, but he admitted to ripping into his assistant coaches.
The Lions were hit hard this week with positive COVID-19 tests, how many players will be out today? Also, what is the latest with Urban Meyer and the Jaguars? @JayGlazer breaks it all down: pic.twitter.com/yDawZcd3mi
“That part he denied, but there’s another part also that he got after his assistant coaches and Urban didn’t deny that part,” Glazer said. “He said, ‘Yes, absolutely. I’m hard on my coaches. I get on them.'”
There’s nothing wrong with a head coach reprimanding his assistants. The problem is the way Meyer reportedly went about it. Meyer has just two wins as an NFL coach, but Pelissero said he “(challenged) each coach individually to explain when they’ve ever won and (forced) them to defend their résumés.” That’s a concerning approach, especially for a coach who has only won at the college level.
Photo: Oct 10, 2021; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer reacts during the second half against the Tennessee Titans at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Urban Meyer’s status with the Jacksonville Jaguars is once again in some question amid reports that surfaced Saturday. However, nothing appears to have changed from ownership’s perspective.
The Jaguars don’t have to make a change right now. While terms of Meyer’s contract aren’t publicly available, it’s safe to assume he’s making upwards of $10 million per year. That would be a very expensive deal to move on from, and the Jaguars won’t be eager to do so less than a year into the contract.
There is once again real talk of Urban Meyer lasting just one season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. If a change is made, there may be a surprise candidate waiting in the wings to take over.
Jaguars assistant coach Charlie Strong has emerged as an in-house favorite to take over as head coach if Meyer is fired, according to Jason La Canfora. General manager Trent Baalke is said to be particularly high on Strong, who is said to have adapted well to the NFL and has the respect of players and coaches.
Strong is a familiar name at the college level. The 61-year-old has served as head coach at Louisville, Texas, and South Florida, posting a 74-53 record overall. However, he had no NFL coaching experience prior to joining Meyer’s staff in Jacksonville.
Given how badly things are going for Meyer, it would be surprising to see the Jaguars go with another untested college coach to replace him. That said, the team might just want someone to smooth things over and be a bit more friendly with the players at this point.
Urban Meyer appears to have completely lost the backing of players and even staff as the losses mount for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Tensions have boiled over between Meyer and his players and staff, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. Meyer’s style has led to clashes with numerous members of the roster, with detractors viewing him as condescending.
Meyer has reportedly had three notable run-ins with players and staff in the last two weeks alone. At one point, veteran wide receiver Marvin Jones became so angry with Meyer’s criticism of the receiver group that he stormed out of practice and left the team facility after an argument with Meyer and had to be coaxed back by assistant coaches. Meyer also challenged his assistant coaches during a meeting, calling them “losers” and challenging them to explain what they have ever won.
Contrary to Meyer’s public denials, it was the head coach who benched running back James Robinson after a fumble in last week’s loss to the Rams, Pelissero says. Meyer prevented Robinson from re-entering the game until he was confronted on the sideline by quarterback Trevor Lawrence about Robinson’s benching. Lawrence publicly questioned his coaches over the benching after the game.
Jaguars players openly vented to Rams players after that loss, with the common complaint being that Meyer simply does not treat them like adults.
All of this comes after Meyer’s embarrassing viral video incident following a Week 4 loss to Cincinnati. Even then, there was talk that he had lost the locker room. His methods that worked in college are not translating to the NFL, and he has not adapted despite a 2-10 record and ongoing issues with players.
By all accounts, Meyer remains committed to seeing things through with the Jaguars. However, it is becoming clear that he is unaccustomed to this much losing and unwilling to adapt his methods to NFL players. Those factors may ensure a very short tenure in Jacksonville at this rate.
James Robinson has been one of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ best players over the past two seasons, but some recent issues with ball security have resulted in him being benched for extended periods. Trevor Lawrence clearly does not agree with the disciplinary action.
Lawrence voiced his support for Robinson on Wednesday and told reporters the running back needs to be on the field as much as possible. The rookie quarterback said he expressed his concerns to Jacksonville’s coaching staff.
“Bottom line is James is one of our best players and he’s got to be on the field and we addressed it, and I feel like we’re in a good spot and the whole team, we’re good,” Lawrence said, per ESPN’s Michael DiRocco. “Whatever may have happened, I honestly don’t even know everything that went into it.”
Lawrence added that he does not to meddle in coaching decisions during the game. He did, however, express his displeasure in Robinson not being on the field at times over the past two weeks.
Robinson sat for 20 consecutive plays after he fumbled against the Los Angeles Rams last weekend. He was benched for 16 straight plays when he lost a fumble against the Atlanta Falcons the week before. Carlos Hyde also fumbled against L.A., but he was back on the field on Jacksonville’s next drive.
Urban Meyer said he doesn’t micromanage the decisions of his assistant coaches during games but that he will become more involved going forward. The head coach seemed to agree with benching Robinson, though.
“If you lay the ball on the ground and you come out for a few plays, and then it’s up to the position coach and whatever to put you back in whenever that’s time,” Meyer said. “And that’s not (just) James. That’s whomever. When the ball goes on the ground, you come (out).”
Robinson has averaged 4.6 yards per carry through his first two NFL seasons. He rushed for over 1,000 yards last season and has 678 this year. He has also scored seven rushing touchdowns this year, which matches his total from 2020.
You can understand why Lawrence wants Robinson on the field, but it’s somewhat surprising that a rookie quarterback publicly criticized his coaching staff on behalf of a teammate. That’s not going to do anything to change the perception that Meyer has had some locker room issues in his first season with the Jags.
Photo: Oct 10, 2021; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) gestures after scoring a touchdown during the second half against the Tennessee Titans at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports
