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Urban Meyer Denies Rumors of Jaguars' Behind-The-Scenes Issues: 'That's Garbage'
December 12, 2021
After the Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Jags head coach Urban Meyer addressed the rumors of off-field tension within his team.
Meyer called the reports "garbage" and denied any incidents between himself and his players or coaching staff. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer noted that Meyer admitted to being hard on his staff, but that's been his reputation throughout his career.
Albert Breer @AlbertBreerAlso, Urban Meyer denied that there was a confrontation with Marvin Jones, or calling coaches losers, but conceded that he's hard on his staff—which, truth be told, has always been the case regardless of where he's been. <a href="https://t.co/TLJmS9TTFM">https://t.co/TLJmS9TTFM</a>
The Jaguars fell to 2-11 with Sunday's 20-0 loss to Tennessee and were officially eliminated from playoff contention. It was Jacksonville's first shutout loss of the season.
On Saturday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reported, "Months of tension surrounding [Meyer] has boiled over with multiple run-ins with players and other coaches in recent weeks." Pelissero added that there were "no signs" that Jaguars owner Shad Khan is considering a coaching change either now or at the end of the 2021 season.
Among the incidents in Pelissero's report were a "heated argument" between Meyer and veteran wide receiver Marvin Jones and a tension-filled meeting with his coaching staff in which Meyer "delivered a biting message that he's a winner and his assistant coaches are losers."
Jacksonville rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence also publicly questioned the coach's decision to bench running back James Robinson in last week's loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Robinson had just six carries for four yards against the Titans.
Meyer's first season as Jacksonville's head coach has been eventful for the wrong reasons, as this isn't the first time he's been involved in controversy. He landed in some hot water in Week 4 after a video surfaced showing a woman who wasn't his wife dancing on him in a bar.
Khan released a statement calling Meyer's conduct "inexcusable" and said he must "regain our trust and respect."
The Jaguars will be back in action next Sunday against the Houston Texans, who are also 2-11.