On Thursday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the news that coach Urban Meyer had been fired by the Jacksonville Jaguars, which is a move many had been anticipating. However, Shad Khan’s spokesperson, Jim Woodcock, alleges that the firing had already taken place days later and that Khan fired Meyer on Sunday following the game against Tennessee.
According to the Associated Press, Khan spoke with Meyer in the locker room following the 20-0 loss in Nashville. In that conversation, Meyer allegedly had few answers for the 2-11 Jags’ struggles and how to fix them. According to Woodcock, that conversation sealed the decision which Khan had been contemplating for weeks.
“It was determined to wait until the conclusion of previously scheduled appointments that week to make the announcement,” Woodcock said. “Those appointments included an employee staff luncheon and meeting with Jacksonville media, both to recognize the 10th anniversary of Shad’s purchase of the Jaguars, on Monday as well as NFL meetings in Dallas on December 14 and 15.”
In the aforementioned anniversary celebration on Monday, Khan told the media that he wouldn’t make an abrupt decision on Meyer’s future. However, Schefter broke the news of Meyer’s firing days later on Thursday at 12:35 a.m. EST.
The announcement by Schefter came after a report from the Tampa Bay Times was released late Wednesday afternoon where former Jags kicker Josh Lambo alleged that Meyer kicked him in warmups in the Jags’ third preseason game on Aug. 29. But with this release from Khan’s camp coming out, the Jags are claiming that Lambo’s story coincidentally came out after the time Woodcock says Meyer was fired instead of before.
“The announcement was made at 12:35 a.m. Eastern on Thursday, December 16, to provide coaches and staff alike a fresh start upon reporting to the stadium that morning,” Woodcock added. “Contrary to incorrect assumptions and widespread egregious reporting, the dismissal was not triggered by a single newspaper report late Wednesday afternoon related to a claim made by a former player.
“To repeat from Shad’s official statement, the decision was reached ‘after deliberation over many weeks and a thorough analysis of the entirety of Urban’s tenure with our team.'”
Regardless of when it happened, fans are simply relieved that the franchise can move on from Meyer and build a proper unit around quarterback Trevor Lawrence. And with Meyer gone, they can begin their head coaching search two days after their game against the New York Jets next Sunday.