Urban Meyer’s Thoughts On Firing
NFL.com recently conducted an exclusive interview with former Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer. Meyer was fired by Jacksonville shortly after midnight on Thursday morning.
The interview covered many of the unflattering headlines that have colored the coach’s tenure in Duval, but started with an apology. Meyer apologized to the City of Jacksonville and painted the picture of a successful football future for the City, including a full stadium and a new facility promised by Jaguars’ owner Shad Khan.
Meyer talked a bit about something that he didn’t have a ton of experience with previously: losing. Meyer commented, “Losing eats away at your soul. Once you start losing, it’s hard on everybody.” This was perhaps most clear during what would be Meyer’s last post-game handshake of the 2021 NFL season, in which it seemed he couldn’t be bothered to even look at his former assistant, Titans’ head coach Mike Vrabel, after a convincing 20-0 loss. Meyer commented on that moment, claiming that he and Vrabel are really close and saying, “that had nothing to do with [Vrabel]…I can’t take losing. I try to accept it, it just eats away at my soul.”
On many of the recent headlines that were thought to have contributed to his early exit, Meyer argued that they just weren’t true. Meyer said that a reported incident during which team captain Marvin Jones left the facility due to Meyer’s public and private criticism was not accurately portrayed. He also completely denied that he delivered a message to his assistant coaches that he is a winner and they are losers. Meyer also disputed that a preseason altercation occurred wherein he kicked former Jaguars’ kicker Josh Lambo while Lambo was stretching. Meyer was quoted saying, “It was like, ‘Wait a minute, where is this coming from?’ I’ve certainly made a few mistakes but those weren’t right.”
Meyer was asked about another highly criticized decision he made of benching James Robinson for an extended period of time against the Rams. The second-year running back is widely thought to be the best player on the struggling Jaguars. Meyer shrugged the decision off as a miscommunication. “We discussed it as a staff,” said Meyer. “When you see someone lose the ball or even see them be loose with the ball, get them out of the game, get their mind right, and then get them back in. When he fumbled, I said, ‘Take him out.’ We took him out and then we had lack of communication about when to put him back in.”
The other young star on Meyer’s former team is number one overall pick Trevor Lawrence. Meyer was complimentary of the 22 year old quarterback, commiserating with the tough situation he was put into. Meyer noted the franchise’s 15-game losing streak and injuries to key contributors on offense as obstacles Lawrence had to face. He ended the discussion on Lawrence saying, “There is zero doubt Trevor is going to be a great NFL quarterback.”
Questions were delivered on if there is an ongoing discussion with Jacksonville about the remaining money owed on his contract and on if Khan made the right move. Meyer declined to comment on both questions.
When asked what comes next for Meyer, he replied, “To be determined.” As of now, he has not heard from anyone in the football world about potential coaching opportunities. One can’t help but to think of where Meyer was a year ago, when he claimed he was living “the perfect life:” working at FOX with no plans to coach in the future.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/18/21
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from IR: RB Chase Edmonds, S Charles Washington
- Placed on IR: WR DeAndre Hopkins, CB Robert Alford
- Promoted: CB Kevin Peterson, LB Joe Walker
Atlanta Falcons
- Placed on IR: DB Erik Harris
- Promoted: LB Dorian Etheridge, DB Shawn Williams
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: DB Robert Jackson, S Tony Jefferson, T Jaryd Jones-Smith, C Adam Redmond, T David Sharpe
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from IR: DB Stantley Thomas-Oliver
- Promoted: QB Reggie Bonnafon, WR Willie Snead
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: LB Ledarius Mack
Cincinnati Bengals
- Activated from IR: OG D’Ante Smith, DB Trae Waynes (story)
- Promoted: LB Austin Calitro, LB Keandre Jones, WR Trent Taylor
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: LB Willie Harvey Jr., DE Porter Gustin
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted: DT Justin Hamilton, RB Jaquan Hardy, DB Darian Thompson
Detroit Lions
- Activated from IR: DB A.J. Parker
- Promoted: LB Curtis Bolton, RB Craig Reynolds, T Dan Skipper
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: S Shawn Davis, DE Abdullah Anderson, G Cole Van Lanen
Houston Texans
- Activated from IR: DE Jordan Jenkins
- Promoted: S Grayland Arnold, LB Connor Strachan, WR Jordan Veasy, DB T.J. Green, FB Paul Quessenberry, DL Chris Smith, OL Jordan Steckler
Indianapolis Colts
- Placed on IR: DT Antwaun Woods
- Promoted: DT Chris Williams
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: RB Nathan Cottrell
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: LB Anthony Hines, WR Brandon Powell
Miami Dolphins
- Activated from IR: C Greg Mancz
- Promoted: WR Tommylee Lewis
New England Patriots
- Promoted: DT Daniel Ekuale, C James Ferentz, RB Devine Ozigbo
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from IR: TE Adam Trautman
- Placed on IR: TE Garrett Griffin (story)
- Promoted: G Forrest Lamp, WR Easop Winston
New York Giants
- Promoted: WR Alex Bachman, LB Jaylon Smith, DB Jarren Williams
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: RB Michael Carter, T Chuma Edoga, DE Bryce Huff, TE Tyler Kroft
- Promoted: DE Ronald Blair, TE Daniel Brown, WR Vyncint Smith
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: G Rashaad Coward
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: RB Brian Hill, DB Jarrod Wilson
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on IR: TE Tory Carter
More On Jaguars, Urban Meyer Fallout
The fallout from Urban Meyer‘s firing in Jacksonville continues. ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington write that the Jaguars fired their now-former head coach for cause and don’t intend on paying him the remaining money on his contract.
Jacksonville is withholding the guaranteed money from the remaining four years of Meyer’s contract. As the writers note, we’ve seen organizations and former coaches negotiate a settlement to avoid a legal situation, and there’s a chance that lawyers for Meyer and the Jaguars could end up resolving the situation. If not, there’s a good chance the former HC will push back against the Jaguars’ decision to fire him for cause.
Meyer dealt with plenty of controversy during his stint with the organization. It started with that whole flight fiasco earlier this season, which was followed by a notorious viral video that showed Meyer at a bar dancing with a woman. Last weekend, we got a damning report that detailed turmoil surrounding the then-HC. Meyer reportedly belittled his fellow coaches, caused respected veteran wideout Marvin Jones to leave practice, and buried James Robinson on the depth chart. This week, kicker Josh Lambo spoke about a preseason incident in which the Jaguars’ coach kicked Lambo while he was stretching. Hours later, Meyer was canned.
However, according to ESPN, there wasn’t a specific incident that caused the Jaguars to withhold the guaranteed money. Rather, the organization believes that “culmination of instances” justified the decision to fire for cause. Meanwhile, while the decision to fire Meyer immediately followed Lambo’s story, owner Shad Khan had reportedly made up his mind following Sunday’s shutout loss to the Titans. According to ESPN, Meyer didn’t have an explanation for the team’s struggles when pressed on it by the owner.
Browns To Sign QBs Kyle Lauletta, Jake Dolegala
The Browns are set to sign quarterbacks Jake Dolegala and Kyle Lauletta, according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic (on Twitter). They’ll provide badly-needed insurance this week as Baker Mayfield and backup Case Keenum remain on the COVID-19 list.
[RELATED: Browns To Start Mullens At QB]
The Browns have upwards of 20 players on the COVID list, so there will be more moves to come. They’re currently expected to use Nick Mullens as their starter for tomorrow’s game against the Raiders with Dolegala and Lauletta in reserve.
Lauletta, who is being plucked from the Jaguars’ taxi squad, spent the summer with the Browns. To date, the 26-year-old has just two appearances on his resume, both with the Giants in 2018. Dolegala, 25, has never seen live action in the NFL.
The league’s updated COVID-19 protocols could allow Mayfield, Keenum, and other Browns players to suit up tomorrow. Of course, their availability will still hinge on their symptoms (or, lack thereof), vaccination status, and other factors.
Updated 2022 NFL Draft Order
The Chiefs (9-4) and Chargers (8-5) are getting set to kick off Week 15 in a matchup that could decide the AFC West crown. Meanwhile, more than one-quarter of the NFL’s teams have either been mathematically or effectively eliminated from playoff contention.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2021 standings, plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. For playoff teams, the order is determined by their postseason outcome and regular season record. (Ex: Washington would own the No. 19 pick if they were eliminated in the Wild Card round with the worst record of the group.)
With that in mind, here’s a look at the currently projected 2022 NFL Draft Order:
1. Detroit Lions (1-11-1)
2. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-11)
3. Houston Texans (2-11)
4. New York Jets (3-10)
5. New York Giants (via Bears)
6. New York Giants (4-9)
7. New York Jets (via Seahawks)
8. Carolina Panthers (5-8)
9. Atlanta Falcons (6-7)
10. Philadelphia Eagles (via Dolphins)
11. Philadelphia Eagles (6-7)
12. Minnesota Vikings (6-7)
13. New Orleans Saints (6-7)
14. Las Vegas Raiders (6-7)
15. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6-1)
16. Denver Broncos (7-6)
17. Cincinnati Bengals (7-6)
18. Cleveland Browns (7-6)
19. Washington Football Team (6-7)*
20. Buffalo Bills (7-6)*
21. Philadelphia Eagles (via Colts)*
22. Miami Dolphins (via 49ers)*
23. Los Angeles Chargers (8-5)*
24. Detroit Lions (via Rams)*
25. Baltimore Ravens (8-5)*
26. Dallas Cowboys (9-4)*
27. Kansas City Chiefs (9-4)*
28. Arizona Cardinals (10-3)*
29. Tennessee Titans (9-4)*
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-3)*
31. New England Patriots (9-4)*
32. Green Bay Packers (10-3)*
* = Playoffs
Jaguars Fire Urban Meyer
Despite signing a five-year contract to coach the Jaguars out of mediocrity, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that, after only eleven months, Urban Meyer is no longer the head coach in Jacksonville. Urban had a bit of a rocky debut season in the NFL, going a paltry 2-11 in a year full of controversy. The firing comes a little over a month after Jaguars’ owner Shad Khan was reportedly “all in” on the first-year head coach.
Meyer was a headline hire for Jacksonville, replacing Doug Marrone as head coach shortly after the Jaguars had secured the worst record in the 2020 NFL season. Meyer had shown his abilities as an accomplished coach in the college ranks, winning three national titles between his years in Gainesville and Columbus. The value of his five-year deal was never officially confirmed, but reports claimed that Meyer was asking for $12MM annually, which would have made him the second-highest paid coach in the NFL under Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichek.
The Meyer-era didn’t take long before showing it’s sour potential. In July, the Jaguars were one of three teams penalized for violating the CBA rules for offseason workouts. The Jaguars were fined a nominal $200K and Meyer was handed a $100K fine, as well. Not two weeks later, Meyer was subpoenaed by the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Iowa in relation to Chris Doyle, the former University of Iowa strength coach who left the school to join Meyer’s staff in Jacksonville. Doyle was the subject of a $20MM racial discrimination civil lawsuit filed by eight former Iowa players. The hiring of Doyle, itself, had created a slew of backlash. Meyer drew yet another offseason headline with comments that COVID-19 vaccination statuses were being considered when trimming the team’s roster down to 53 players, leading to an investigation by the NFLPA.
In October, Meyer once again found himself under fire after a viral video surfaced showing him with a young woman at his restaurant in Columbus. The Jaguars had just played a Thursday night game in Cincinnati. After the loss to the Bengals, Meyer didn’t fly back to Florida with the team, electing to stay in Ohio to visit family. Meyer claimed he had gone with family members to the restaurant where the viral video had been recorded. He spent the following Monday apologizing to the team, his family, and Khan.
Since then, there have been several reports of discontent within the Jaguars’ organization, with the most recent coming from kicker Josh Lambo who spoke about a preseason incident in which the Jaguars’ coach kicked Lambo while he was stretching. From continuous rumors that Meyer could have interest in open college coaching jobs to expectations that Meyer would fire the entire staff at the end of the season, it’s safe to say that the Meyer-Jacksonville partnership has not gone according to plan.
Ian Rapoport, of NFL Network, was quick to follow Schefter in tweeting that, with Meyer out, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell will serve as head coach in an interim capacity. Bevell is in his 21st year of coaching in the NFL, with previous stints as the quarterbacks coach in Green Bay and the offensive coordinator in Minnesota, Seattle, and Detroit. Bevell actually has experience as an interim head coach, having led the Detroit Lions to a 1-4 finish following the firing of then-head coach Matt Patricia just last year. The Jaguars’ offense has struggled under Bevell with a rookie quarterback and an identical offensive line to the line from 2020 that helped Jacksonville earn the number one overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. They currently rank 30th in total offense and 31st in scoring offense.
Bevell should have a soft opening term as interim coach in Jacksonville, with matchups against the Texans and Jets, before finishing the season with the Patriots and Colts. Meanwhile, we’ll have to wait and see just how genuine the college interest in Meyer was as the mired coach navigates the aftermath of a tumultuous 2021 campaign.
Jaguars Owner Shad Khan On Urban Meyer
Jaguars owner Shad Khan isn’t happy with the current state of the team. Still, he says that he won’t rush to make any decisions on the future of head coach Urban Meyer. 
[RELATED: Khan Meets With Jags Coaches]
“I want to do the right thing for the team. I want to do the right thing for the city,” Khan said (via ESPN.com). “That, to me, is way more important than just acting helter-skelter on emotion. I think we have a history of really looking at the facts and then really doing the right thing.
“Gus Bradley was here four years. Doug Marrone was here four years. It was wins and losses and this is a little bit different but, you know, 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.”
The Jaguars are 2-11 after getting shut out by the Titans for their fifth straight loss. Earlier this week, Khan met with coaches to reaffirm his confidence in them while imploring them to get the locker room in order. This comes after a string of reports citing discord between Meyer, his assistants, and several veterans on the roster.
“I’m not impulsive,” Khan told reporters. “I learned that a long time ago with anything that’s this important. You don’t want to be impulsive. You want to look at exactly what I know firsthand or people are telling me and then collect that and do the right thing.”
The Jaguars will look to get back in the win column on Sunday against the Texans. They last met in the season opener, a 37-21 win for Houston.
Latest On Urban Meyer, Jaguars Coaching Staff
Following a damning report from this past weekend that detailed tensions between Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer and both his players and staff, Shad Khan has apparently stepped in. According to Josina Anderson (on Twitter), the Jaguars owner “addressed the coaching staff in person” following Saturday’s report.
[REPORT: Jaguars Players, Coaches Frustrated With HC Urban Meyer]
During the meeting, Khan still expressed confidence in his coaching staff, but he encouraged his staff to improve the players’ cohesiveness. The owner also specifically addressed the weekend report, noting his dismay that news like that would leak out of the organization. Finally, Khan didn’t provide any “definitive assurances nor any discouragement” about the coaching staff’s status for the rest of the season or next year.
Meanwhile, Anderson also hears that staff confirmed that Meyer reportedly belittled coaches in a meeting, declaring that he himself was a “winner” and insinuating that his fellow coaches were “losers.” These coaches also lamented the feeling of “not being on the same page” as their HC, with some coaches feeling “unappreciated [and] undermined.”
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, tensions surrounding Meyer have “boiled over with multiple run-ins with players and other coaches in recent weeks.” Pelissero’s report included a number of anecdotes, including telling notes about veteran wideout Marvin Jones‘ apparent dissatisfaction with his HC, Meyer’s (mis)handling of his coaching staff, and Meyer’s handling of running back James Robinson.
Jaguars Players, Coaches Frustrated With HC Urban Meyer
Ever since Urban Meyer skipped a team flight following a Week 4 loss to the Bengals, there have been questions surrounding the head coach’s commitment to and control within the Jaguars organization. In fact, we heard just last night that Meyer and GM Trent Baalke may not be seeing eye to eye. Well, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network has added some fuel to that fire this morning.
According to the reporter, tensions surrounding Meyer have “boiled over with multiple run-ins with players and other coaches in recent weeks.” This has led to rumblings that Meyer could be done in Jacksonville after only one season. The organization is naturally frustrated as they currently have a 2-10 record and have averaged only 10.6 points per game over the six contests since their bye. The HC has continually shifted blame on the players and coaches, per Pelissero, comments that have only helped to “exacerbated frustration in the building.”
The reporter provided more damning anecdotes that seem to show that things are spiraling out of control in Jacksonville. For starters, respected veteran wideout Marvin Jones recently left team facilities before returning and having a heated exchange with Meyer. Next, Meyer reportedly belittled coaches in a meeting by declaring that he was a “winner” and insinuating that his fellow coaches were “losers.” Finally, James Robinson‘s recent benching was indeed Meyer’s decision, and the HC tasked RB coach Bernie Parmalee with preventing the starter from reentering the game. Robinson only got more playing time once top-overall pick Trevor Lawrence questioned why his teammate wasn’t playing.
As Pelissero details, there’s a number of additional reasons why someone would question Meyer’s authority in Jacksonville. Multiple members of his staff have either stepped away or will be taking jobs elsewhere, and the organization was also slapped with fines about the HC’s violation of OTA rules (Meyer was also investigated after acknowledging that he factored vaccination status into his roster decisions). Then there was that whole flight fiasco earlier this season, which was followed by a notorious viral video that showed Meyer at a bar dancing with a woman.
Despite it all, Pelissero writes that owner Shad Khan has shown “no signs” of wanting to make a change. Khan has generally been loyal to his staff, and the owner had pursued Meyer for years. Unless things are truly too far gone, it sounds like Khan will be in favor of giving Meyer a second season with the organization.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/4/21
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: LS Beau Brinkley, RB Tavien Feaster, LB Joe Walker, LB Tahir Whitehead, CB Jace Whittaker
- Placed on IR: S James Wiggins
Atlanta Falcons
- Activated from IR: DE Steven Means
- Promoted: RB Qadree Ollison
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: DB Robert Jackson, RB Nate McCrary
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Frankie Luvu
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on IR: WR Auden Tate
- Promoted: G Keaton Sutherland, WR Pooka Williams, RB Trayveon Williams
Denver Broncos
- Promoted: RB Damarea Crockett
- Waived: WR Tyrie Cleveland
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: LB Tavante Beckett, LB Rashod Berry, DE Bruce Hector
Houston Texans
- Activated from IR: C Justin Britt, LB Christian Kirksey
- Promoted: S Jonathan Owens, RB Jaylen Samuels, DL Chris Smith
- Waived: CB Cre’von LeBlanc
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from IR: DT Jay Tufele
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: TE Matt Bushman, FB Sutton Smith, WR Dillon Stoner
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: WR Brandon Powell, RB Mekhi Sargent
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: RB Jake Bargas, DB Myles Dorn, DE Kenny Willekes
- Waived: DE Eddie Yarbrough
New York Giants
- Promoted: WR Pharoh Cooper, DB Steven Parker, DB Jarren Williams
New York Jets
- Signed: K Alex Kessman
- Waived: K Matt Ammendola
- Promoted: DE Ronald Blair, TE Dan Brown, RB Austin Walter
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: S Jared Mayden
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from IR: DL Carlos Davis
- Promoted: OL Chaz Green
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: LB Tyrell Adams, WR River Cracraft, LB Justin March
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: RB Adrian Peterson (story)
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Logan Woodside