Trying to wrap my mind around the last week following the Urban Meyer saga has been a task in ridiculousness.
I mean, imagine explaining this tweet to yourself at this time last week:
Urban Meyer's wife issues a statement: https://t.co/4YOe64xzvk
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 7, 2021
This is the latest snapshot in a moment that was made for daytime TV. Here’s the gist:
One video surfaced of Jaguars Head Coach Urban Meyer at his restaurant — Urban Meyer’s Pint House — with a young woman who wasn’t his wife dancing … closely. Another, days later, popped up with Meyer apparently touching the same woman’s backside. This came just days after the team’s loss to the Bengals in Cincinnati. And as you might’ve guessed, Meyer didn’t fly home with the team — which is an oddity on its own. But then to see what has transpired since is simply wild.
Every day comes with a seemingly more sensational plot point than the day before. Observe:
A statement from #Jaguars owner Shad Khan on Urban Meyer. pic.twitter.com/jbfOQK6zsA
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 5, 2021
Jaguars' HC Urban Meyer says he did not consider resigning after last weekend:https://t.co/FN8XcRiWOH
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 6, 2021
Meyer on getting the team ready to play the Titans: "I don't believe that's in my court. … The leaders on the team are going to make that decision. It depends on how much trust you have built up with them, how we structure everything this week and focus on winning that game. …
— Mark Long (@APMarkLong) October 5, 2021
Jaguars coach Urban Meyer addressed his entire team Wednesday morning and apologized for his behavior last week, a source has confirmed to ESPN. https://t.co/LtVn0JqWim
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 6, 2021
Put this in the things you didn't expect to hear from an NFL coach file: Meyer says this is a "speed bump" for his 37-year marriage, which he described as awesome.
— Michele Steele (@MicheleSteele) October 6, 2021
"They do not respect him. He's done in this town."@bomani_jones thinks Urban Meyer's time in Jacksonville is coming to a close. pic.twitter.com/mIHWRLq2ez
— Around the Horn (@AroundtheHorn) October 5, 2021
Urban Meyer, who apologized to the team as a whole on Wednesday and then to fans, said he did not consider resigning as Jaguars coach.
Full story here âž¡ï¸ https://t.co/07McrCmxOT pic.twitter.com/Hw1A0Mvp0r
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 6, 2021
Urban Meyer has addressed the Jaguars in-full, there's no change in his status as head coach but "he's really been put on notice," according to @nflnetwork @RapSheet, who filled us in on the latest in #DUUUVAL:#NFL pic.twitter.com/ODrFbXGcMx
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) October 6, 2021
How did the videos of Jacksonville Jaguars coach Urban Meyer emerge? It had to do with a sleuthing electrician. https://t.co/HMhQnsGZTB
— WSJ Sports (@WSJSports) October 7, 2021
Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars broke the huddle at practice with "GRIND!" before they burst out laughing. This is gonna go really good or really bad sunday. pic.twitter.com/1959hP8rMR
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) October 7, 2021
And it’s never good when The Onion has you nailed:
Urban Meyer Still Adjusting To Speed Of NFL Cover-Ups https://t.co/vDUHaJht53 pic.twitter.com/TGQsbvoPrc
— The Onion (@TheOnion) October 5, 2021
Things are in such disarray, folks around the league are already looking forward to in-season replacements:
If Urban Meyer quits or gets fired during the season, who takes over? It would be interesting to see whether Shad Khan hires an interim coach from outside the organization. https://t.co/QyqD0HwjD7
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) October 7, 2021
It’s all a mess for Meyer and the Jaguars. His team is 0-4 and has just a 2 percent chance of making the postseason, based on FiveThirtyEight’s calculations and simulations. Only the Lions (1%) have longer odds. The team’s first first-round pick (Trevor Lawrence) has more interceptions (7) than touchdowns (5) to go along with a woeful 66.4 passer rating. Another first-round pick (RB Travis Etienne) is on IR and his playing status for this season is in doubt. And while Meyer has publicly denied interest in the open USC job, a return to college football remains a highly discussed topic because folks simply don’t believe him.
The Bears don’t play the Jaguars this year. And that stinks, in part, because I love football drama (so long as it doesn’t involve my favorite team). But if Meyer stays true to his word and sticks around, maybe the Bears will see him in 2022, 2023, or 2024, depending on how the schedule rotation works. However, if I had to guess, Jacksonville will look different then than it does now.