Urban Meyer’s situation is far from over

Getty Images

Later in the day, the Jaguars will try to avoid losing their twentieth consecutive game. Whether they will step down from their seventh head coach will not be determined today.

While things have calmed down considerably over the past two days (thanks in large part to Jon Gruden’s situation), Urban Meyer’s future remains in the air. From the various conversations we have had and the information we have gathered, it is clear that the situation is far from over.

That doesn’t mean Meyer will be gone for good. However, that doesn’t mean that he will stay on for good, either. The outcome depends on a few key factors.

First, the Jaguars continue to explore Meyer’s failure to return to Jacksonville after the loss to the Bengals in Cincinnati. Last Monday he said some things when asked about the situation. If these things, based on further investigation, end up being materially false enough, Meyer could be sacked – as early as this week, but that would more likely happen after next Sunday’s London game against the Dolphins.

Second, Meyer could still do something else that will make it even more obvious that he needs to go. He made several missteps in his first foray into the NFL, from the misguided hiring of Chris Doyle to the six-figure fines he was handed and the team for offseason practices that broke the rules for blurting that vaccination status was a factor in roster decisions for the arguably unforgivable sin of giving up his post and not returning to Jacksonville with the team after a fourth week loss to Cincinnati.

As a source with knowledge of the situation explained to PFT, players and staff weren’t aware Meyer wasn’t returning to Jacksonville until he was on the flight. When asked this week if owner Shad Khan approves Dodge’s in-season lead clearance, outing hiatus, and Meyer only said he told GM Trent Baalke “well in advance “. As if Baalke was going to say, “Urb, that’s not a good idea.

The problem continues to be that Meyer continues to approach his current job the same way he approached his previous jobs. He was Emperor of Gainesville before becoming Emperor of Columbus. He learns the hard way that he’s definitely not the Emperor of Jacksonville. Indeed, he looks more like Duvall’s dunce.

The real question is whether he is really learning anything. He may have decided from the moment he took on the job that he would do things his own way. Unfortunately, continuing to do things your own way could sooner than later result in a one-way trip from Jacksonville.