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Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban
Meyer is reportedly in danger of losing the locker room’s support
after a viral video posted over the weekend showed a woman
dancing on him in an Ohio bar.
Michael Silver of NFL Network
reported Tuesday the situation has reached a “crisis point” after Meyer canceled a team meeting Monday amid the
backlash. One player reportedly said the coach was “too scared” to
face the entire squad and instead apologized in meetings with position
groups.
“He has zero credibility in that
stadium,” a Jags player told Silver. “He had very little to begin
with.”
Jaguars owner Shad Khan
released a statement that said Meyer’s conduct was “inexcusable” and noted the coach would need to “regain” the team’s trust:
Jacksonville executives held two days
of closed-door meetings about the coach’s status following the
release of the video, per Michael Lombardi of The Daily Coach.
Meyer was hired in January after a
two-year hiatus from coaching. He previously spent over 30 years at the
college level, including time as head coach at Bowling Green, Utah,
Florida and Ohio State. He won three national championships, two with
the Gators and one with the Buckeyes.
His arrival, with the Jags’
selection of quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick
in the 2021 NFL draft, provided hope the franchise was trending toward
a significant turnaround after going 1-15 last year. Instead, they’re
0-4 and now dealing with the drama surrounding Meyer.
The 57-year-old Ohio native, who’s
married with three children, said in his Monday press conference he
didn’t travel with the team after Thursday’s loss to the Cincinnati
Bengals. He remained behind to spend time with his grandchildren.
He explained the family went out for
dinner when another group recognized him. They asked him to take
pictures and urged him to join them on the dance floor. He conceded
it was the wrong decision to remain at the establishment.
Meyer said he apologized to his family,
the Jaguars players and coaching staff and to Khan:
Ari Meirov @MySportsUpdate
Here’s <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jaguars?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#Jaguars</a> HC Urban Meyer apologizing for what happened over the weekend. Meyer didn’t travel back with the team after the game and stayed in Ohio. Full explanation:<a href=”https://t.co/X8plCNWbiQ”>pic.twitter.com/X8plCNWbiQ</a>
Benjamin Allbright of KOA Colorado
reported the Jags are planning to keep Meyer “for now,” but they’ve discussed contingency plans should they need an in-season
replacement.
Jacksonville returns to action Sunday
to host the Tennessee Titans at TIAA Bank Field. Then the team is
scheduled for a trip to London to face the Miami Dolphins in Week 6.
The Jaguars have a bye in Week 7.
