After going 1-15 in 2020, the Jacksonville Jaguars were desperate to turn things around. This is why it wasn't particularly shocking to see owner Shad Khan go out of his way to court Urban Meyer. This turned out to be a massive blunder as Meyer quickly proved that he was underqualified to coach an NFL team. And less than a year after hiring him, the Jags kicked him to the curb.
The firing was deserved, but Meyer still wanted to collect the remainder of the contract he signed in 2021. The good news is that after years of waiting for an outcome, his request was denied, and Jacksonville scored a massive win.
The Jaguars won't have to pay Urban Meyer the remainder of his contract
College reporter Brett McMurphy posted on One3 that the Jaguars won a case that justifies the Urban Meyer firing, adding that they'll save more than $30 million.
The outcome isn't particularly surprising when you take into account that Jacksonville had more than one valid reason to dismiss Meyer, even when you leave aside his ineptitude on the football field.
From the get-go, Meyer had no idea he knew what he was doing, and would routinely bring up his college resume to justify his methods. As he quickly found out, he wasn't prepared to take on the challenges that came with coaching in the NFL.
Meyer didn't know his players, or the ones on other teams, for that matter. He would belittle his own players and lie to them after he was caught dancing improperly after staying in Ohio following the loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4.
As former Jaguars wide receiver DJ Chark Jr. stated, Meyer promised that he would put players in a position to succeed, but he doesn't recall anyone who got better during Urb's short-lived era in Jacksonville.
However, the straw that broke the camel's back was when the news broke that Meyer allegedly kicked and threatened kicker Josh Lambo during a warm-up before the game. Not long after, Khan pulled the trigger and dismissed Meyer.
Lambo eventually sued for damages, but the lawsuit was dismissed. Nevertheless, Meyer's reputation took a massive hit. And the fact that the Jaguars don't have to pay him the remainder of his salary shows that they were right to dismiss him.
The Jaguars can at last put the Urban Meyer era in the rearview mirror
The Jaguars have done a good job moving on from the Urban Meyer debacle. Sure, they had their ups and downs under Doug Pederson, but he helped them heal. Liam Coen then took the next step when he turned Jacksonville into a playoff team.
On the other hand, having to pay Meyer would have stung, as he would collect the remainder of his paycheck even though he did a lousy job during his stint in Duval. He gets zero, and that should make the Jaguars feel great.
Hindsight is 20/20, but hiring Urban Meyer was one of the worst decisions the Jaguars have made in franchise history. The good news is that they have undone most of the damage he did in 2021, and the latest decision helps them put the whole thing behind them.
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