Things are getting worse and worse for Jaguars coach Urban Meyer with four straight defeats (including a blowout loss to the woefully ill-equipped Texans in Week 1) and a scandal to boot. A three-time college National Champion with Florida and Ohio State, Meyer began Monday’s press conference by addressing a video that went viral over the weekend, acknowledging that he “should have left” instead of posing for pictures with women (including one who appeared to be giving him a lap dance) at a bar in Ohio. Meyer also apologized for being a “distraction” ahead of Jacksonville’s Week 5 matchup with Tennessee.
Meyer’s job appears to be in jeopardy with podcast host and former NFL GM Michael Lombardi reporting the Jaguars have held multiple “closed-door meetings” about his recent conduct, which may have violated his employment terms. Citing two sources within the Jacksonville organization, Lombardi warned the situation could turn “ugly.”
Owner Shad Kahn released a statement Tuesday morning, calling Meyer’s behavior “inexcusable” while suggesting he’ll have to work hard to regain “our trust and respect.”
Beyond the recent controversy, Meyer has had to put out fires seemingly since the day he arrived in Jacksonville, ruffling feathers by hiring disgraced strength coach Chris Doyle (who resigned 24 hours after taking the job) and later incurring a $100,000 fine for various OTA violations. Sports Illustrated’s Michael Silver feels the tension surrounding Meyer has reached a “crisis point” in the Jaguars’ locker room with players beginning to turn on him.
The burning-hot lights of the NFL can be quite a reality check for the uninitiated—Nick Saban, Lane Kiffin and Steve Spurrier all struggled in the pros before eventually returning to college. Still, even beyond the usual first-year growing pains, Jacksonville’s Meyer experiment has been an unmitigated disaster from the start with the 57-year-old’s abrasive personality apparently meshing poorly with players. Meyer’s latest stunt, staying behind in Cincinnati instead of accompanying the team on their flight home to Jacksonville Thursday night, may prove to be the final straw.
If Meyer were to be fired—and that possibility is growing likelier by the day—the Jacksonville opening would draw plenty of outside interest from coaches eager to work with top draft pick Trevor Lawrence, who is coming off his best game yet, completing 17-of-24 passes (70.8 completion percentage) for 204 yards with eight carries for 36 yards and a rushing touchdown in Week 4.
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