Urban Meyer’s explanation for Chris Doyle’s departure has new relevance

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The first dose of NFL reality for Urban Meyer came in reaction to his efforts to hire Chris Doyle as the team’s director of athletic performance. Many strongly questioned the move given the track record of racist remarks made by Doyle while working for the University of Iowa football program.

Meyer was quick to sever ties with Doyle. Meyer explained the decision citing a desire to avoid distractions.

“I saw the impact of the decision and the distraction it caused,” Meyer said at the time. “The most important part of the organization is and always will be our players, and I come – we both felt, we all felt, when I say both, Trent [Baalke] and myself, then Chris Doyle felt it was better, that this team didn’t need [any distractions]. Everything is going too well. We have hired excellent staff. We don’t need a distraction, and [to] moving forward is in everyone’s best interest.

Although Doyle himself was the source of the distraction, Meyer caused the distraction by hiring Doyle. More recently, Meyer provides both the distraction and the cause. His reasoning from March has new relevance, given the current situation in Jacksonville resulting from Meyer’s misadventures in Ohio.

The only difference, of course, is that “everything” is not “going too well”. Some would argue that this is all the more reason for Meyer to step back and tone down the distraction.

Owner Shad Khan suggested in Tuesday’s statement that Meyer would not be fired. However, Khan’s strong language coupled with the team’s current rise could make Meyer more prone to typing and walking away, as he has previously done in Gainesville and Columbus.

There were suggestions Tuesday morning that the Jaguars were looking for a way to fire Meyer for cause, thus ending his entitlement to the remainder of his contract. If he resigns, he gets nothing.

It’s possible the Jaguars and Meyer are trying to negotiate a partial loaf that gives him some of what he owes in return for leaving now. It’s the cleanest, easiest way for everyone to move on, if that’s what we’re headed for.