Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer has reportedly apologized to the team for his actions in a video that went viral over the weekend. 

Per NFL Network's Aditi Kinkhabwala, Meyer addressed the Jaguars before Wednesday's practice.

Kinkhabwala noted Meyer told the team he "embarrassed" both his family and players. 

Meyer was seen with a woman dancing on him in the video posted on social media. He told reporters Monday that he stayed in Ohio after the Jaguars' 24-21 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals last week. 

"I stayed to see the grandkids, and we all went to dinner that night at the restaurant," Meyer said. "There was a big group next to our restaurant and they wanted me to come over and take pictures and I did." 

Jaguars owner Shad Khan said in a statement Tuesday that Meyer expressed remorse for his actions but that "he must regain our trust and respect."

One unnamed player told Sports Illustrated's Michael Silver that Meyer has "zero credibility in that stadium" with Jaguars players.

Jacksonville hired Meyer as its head coach in January. The 57-year-old was returning to coaching two years after retiring from Ohio State. 

The Jaguars job is Meyer's first stint in the NFL. He is one of the most successful college coaches of all time with a 187-32 career record at Bowling Green, Utah, Florida and Ohio State. He won three national titles in 17 seasons. 

Meyer's tenure with the Jaguars is off to a rough start even excluding this off-field controversy. The team is 0-4 and has the fifth-worst point differential (minus-41) in the NFL.    

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer is now trying to earn more than just his first career NFL win after an 0-4 start to the season.

He's also trying to earn back his players' trust after a video spread on social media showing a woman dancing on him in an Ohio bar.

"The fact that I became a distraction, I got to earn their (players) trust back from it," he said on his radio show on 1010 XL (h/t John Reid of the Florida Times-Union). "I know we have incredible leaders but this one is on me to go out and coach my very best, give them everything possible that I can do to help have success."

He also said, "The conversations have been horrible ... have to move forward and regain the trust," (h/t Mark Long of the Associated Press).

Meyer's comments echo those of Jaguars owner Shad Khan, who said in a statement that the coach had to "regain" the team's trust after his "inexcusable" conduct:

The head coach also discussed the situation during his press conference and explained he chose not to fly back with the team following Thursday's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals to spend time with his grandchildren in Ohio.

According to his timeline, he and his family went out to dinner when another group of people recognized him and tried to get him out on the dance floor. Meyer said he should have left at that time and apologized to the team and his family:

Regaining the team's trust might not be easy considering a player told Michael Silver of NFL Network, "He has zero credibility in that stadium. He had very little to begin with."

Silver reported the situation "has reached a crisis point, especially in the locker room" with players upset Meyer canceled a team meeting and apologized to position groups individually.

"Right when he left everyone started dying laughing," a player said. "And he knew it."

Benjamin Allbright of KOA Colorado reported the front office "wants to give him a chance to dig out of this" but did have conversations about contingency plans should it move on from Meyer.

The Jaguars will attempt to get on track on the field with an AFC South showdown against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

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:

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.   

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan released a statement Tuesday regarding the viral video involving head coach Urban Meyer.

Khan called Meyer's actions "inexcusable" and noted Meyer would have to earn back the trust of the Jaguars organization:

In the video, a woman who is not Meyer's wife can be seen dancing in front of a seated Meyer while the coach appears to be touching her backside with his hands.

After the video was released, Meyer addressed the media Monday and apologized for his actions.

Meyer said: "I just apologized to the team and staff for being a distraction. Just stupid, and so I explained everything that happened and owned it. Just stupid. Should not have myself in that kind of position."

According to ESPN's Michael DiRocco, Meyer explained that he did not fly back with the team to Jacksonville last Thursday after the Jags lost to the Cincinnati Bengals on the road. Instead, he visited his grandchildren in Columbus, Ohio, and went to his Urban Meyer's Pint House restaurant.

Meyer added: "There was a big group next [to] our restaurant and they wanted me to come over and take pictures, and I did. They were trying to pull me out on the dance floor, screwing around, and I should have left."

The 57-year-old coach also said both Khan and the Jaguars players were receptive to his apology.

Earlier Tuesday it was reported by Sportico's Michael McCann and Michael Lombardi of The Daily Coach that the Jaguars were looking into the possibility of firing Meyer for cause and for violating a "morals clause" in his contract.

Benjamin Allbright of KOA Colorado later reported that the Jaguars intend to keep Meyer "for now," and Khan's statement seems to support it.

The Jaguars hired Meyer during the offseason after he enjoyed a hugely successful career as a collegiate head coach.

In 17 seasons as a college head coach at Bowling Green, Utah, Florida and Ohio State, Meyer went 187-32. He also won two national championships while at Florida and one at Ohio State.

Meyer retired after going 10-1 as head coach of the Buckeyes in 2018 and transitioned into broadcasting, but the Jags were able to lure him out of what was his second retirement.

The move to the NFL has been anything but smooth for Meyer, as the Jaguars are 0-4, making them one of only two winless teams in the league this season.

Jacksonville Jaguars executives have reportedly held closed-door meetings over the past two days to discuss the future of head coach Urban Meyer. The discussions come after a viral video posted on social media over the weekend showed a young woman dancing on him at an Ohio bar.

Michael Lombardi of The Daily Coach reported Tuesday that "this might get ugly," and confirmed a prediction from Sportico's Michael McCann about the contract clauses being discussed:

According to Benjamin Allbright of KOA Colorado, Jacksonville intends to keep Meyer "for now":

That report comes after Jaguars owner Shad Khan issued a statement saying Meyer must "regain our trust and respect" while also calling the coach's actions "inexcusable":

Meyer, 57, discussed the video in his Monday press conference. The Jags' first-year coach, who is married with three children, explained he stayed behind in his native Ohio following Thursday night's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals to spend time with his grandchildren.

The family went out for dinner when another group recognized him. He said they asked for pictures and tried to convince him to join them on the dance floor. The former Ohio State coach, who wore a Buckeyes shirt for the outing, conceded he should have left instead of hanging around.

Meyer said he apologized to his family, the players, the coaching staff and Khan, who he described as "supportive" during their conversation after the video went public:

The situation arose as Jacksonville continues to search for its first win of the season following four straight losses to open the Meyer era.

Meyer won three national championships at the college level—two at Florida and one at Ohio State—but he noted after a Week 2 loss to the Denver Broncos the level of competition never drops in the NFL.

"Lot of good players in this league, man," Meyer told Broncos coach Vic Fangio. "It's Alabama every week."

Contract terms weren't released when Meyer was hired by the Jaguars in January, though Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported the coach was seeking $12 million annually.

Lombardi didn't expand on whether Jacksonville is discussing whether to terminate Meyer's contract immediately or trying to void any future guarantees following the video's release.

The Jaguars are scheduled to host the AFC South rival Tennessee Titans at TIAA Bank Field on Sunday before heading to London for a matchup with the Miami Dolphins in Week 6.

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer said Monday he apologized to his players and coaching staff after a video posted on social media over the weekend showed a woman dancing on him in an Ohio bar.

"I just apologized to the team and staff for being a distraction. It was stupid," Meyer told reporters. "So I explained to everyone what happened, and owned it, and I should not have been in that position."

The 57-year-old Ohio native, who's married with three children, explained he stayed behind to visit his grandchildren after the Jags suffered a 24-21 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night.

Meyer said went out to a restaurant to eat and was recognized by another group, which asked him to take pictures and then tried to convince him to take the dance floor.

The first-year Jacksonville head coach conceded he should have left the establishment rather than hang around, and noted he also apologized to his family, which was "upset," and team owner Shad Khan, who was "supportive" during their conversation:

Meyer, who was shown wearing an Ohio State shirt in pictures from the night, previously served as the Buckeyes' head coach from 2012 through 2018 before taking a break from coaching.

He won three national championships at the college level, two with Florida (2006 and 2008) and one with OSU (2014), before taking his first NFL job when he signed with the Jags in January. Contract details weren't released.

There was optimism that the Jaguars, who posted a 1-15 record in 2020, could quickly turn things around with the offseason arrival of Meyer and quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the first overall pick in the 2021 draft.

However, that hasn't materialized in the early going. Jacksonville is off to an 0-4 start and has been outscored by 41 points, the league's fifth-worst point differential.

"Lot of good players in this league, man," Meyer told reporters after a Week 2 loss to the Denver Broncos. "It's Alabama every week."

The Jags return to action Sunday when they host the Tennessee Titans before heading to London to face the Miami Dolphins on Oct. 17.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver DJ Chark Jr. is reportedly expected to miss the remainder of the 2021 NFL season after suffering a fractured ankle in Thursday night's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported Friday "surgery is the most likely option" for Chark:

The 25-year-old LSU product was injured on the Jags' opening drive while blocking on a run play and was carted off the field.

"Tough one. I don't know the extent. I heard it's a broken ankle," Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer told reporters after the game. "And he was starting to play well. That's a big one."

Chark recorded seven receptions for 154 yards and two touchdowns through the season's first three games.

The 2018 second-round pick earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2019 when he tallied 73 catches for 1,008 yards and eight scores.

His big-play ability alongside Marvin Jones Jr. and Laviska Shenault Jr. gave Jacksonville one of the best, and one of the most under-appreciated, receiver trios in the league.

Chark is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at season's end with the conclusion of his four-year, $4.4 million rookie contract, barring an extension with the Jaguars.

Tavon Austin, Tyron Johnson and Jamal Agnew will compete for the opportunity to fill the void in three-receiver sets for the Jags.

Jacksonville, which dropped to 0-4 with Thursday's loss, returns to action Oct. 10 for a Week 5 game against the AFC South rival Tennessee Titans.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are 0-4 after losing 24-21 to the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday.

It was a difficult defeat for the Jags, who led 14-0 at halftime but allowed two third-quarter touchdowns. James Robinson gave Jacksonville the lead back, but Cincinnati won thanks to Joe Burrow's second touchdown pass to C.J. Uzomah and a game-winning 73-yard drive capped by Evan McPherson's 35-yard field goal. It was the team's 19th straight defeat dating back to last season, per Pro Football Reference. 

First-year Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer told reporters after the game: "That's devastating, heartbreaking. These guys—usually I’m not wrong about stuff like that. I just see a good team in there. I see good guys. I see good hearts. I see guys that work. I told them: 'I'm not wrong. I'm not wrong about that stuff.'"

Meyer added that his team would "win some games."

"We are getting better each week," he said. "It's just sickening that you didn't win that thing. But like I told you, I'm not wrong about that. I'm not wrong about those guys in that room. They're going to keep swinging as hard as they possibly can."

Some bright spots exist for the Jags. For starters, they've played a brutal schedule that includes games against the 3-0 Denver Broncos, 3-0 Arizona Cardinals and 3-1 Bengals.

The schedule won't be that hard the rest of the way, and it includes two matchups with the 0-3 Indianapolis Colts and another with the 0-3 New York Jets. Eight of their final 13 games are against teams with losing records.

Jacksonville did start its season with a loss to the 1-2 Houston Texans, but the Jaguars look far better now than they did in Week 1.

Of note, Jacksonville led Arizona 19-10 late in the third quarter in Week 3 thanks to a tremendous defensive effort, but the Cardinals stormed back with 21 straight points to end the game.

On Thursday, the offense and defense were firing on all cylinders, and rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence enjoyed his best game (17-of-24 for 204 yards; 36 rushing yards and one score).

However, the Bengals offense came to life in the second half as Burrow threw for 253 yards. The Jaguars defense had no answer, and the offense sputtered.

Still, Jacksonville has made progress each week, and Lawrence's play was encouraging.

The Jags will look to earn their first win Sunday, Oct. 10, when they host the Tennessee Titans.

Jacksonville Jaguars rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence enjoyed the best outing of his four-game NFL career Thursday in a 24-21 loss at the Cincinnati Bengals.

Lawrence, whom the Jags took with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, completed 17-of-24 passes for 204 yards and rushed eight times for 36 yards and a score.

The ex-Clemson star did all that without starting wide receiver DJ Chark Jr., who suffered a fractured ankle early in the first quarter and will be out indefinitely, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Despite the unfortunate departure, Lawrence still excelled, most notably establishing a rapport with wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. (six catches, 99 yards). This one for 52 yards was arguably the play of the game for Jacksonville.

He also tossed a dime to special teams ace Jamal Agnew for 27 yards.

In addition, Lawrence's running took center stage, especially when he juked the Bengals defense for a score:

From a fantasy perspective, Lawrence entered Thursday as a dicey start even in two-quarterback leagues.

The Jaguars offense had looked largely inept, averaging 17.7 points per game (27th in the 32-team NFL). The Jags also ranked 29th in offensive DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average), per Football Outsiders.

In addition, Lawrence entered Thursday having completed just 54.2 percent of his passes for five touchdowns, seven interceptions and 5.7 yards per attempt. He had also rushed for just 46 yards.

That placed him 29th in fantasy points among quarterbacks, per NFL.com.

One good start doesn't vault Lawrence into must-start status, but he's one of the more talented rookies to enter the league in recent history. At some point, this early-season slump was bound to end, and now Lawrence is showcasing his talents.

Entering Week 5, feel confident to use Lawrence in two-quarterback leagues.

He's not a top-12 fantasy quarterback by any means, so starting him isn't advised for one-quarterback leagues, but Lawrence's stock is clearly on the rise after a good day against a Bengals defense that Football Outsiders ranked No. 4 in DVOA entering Thursday.