Jacksonville Jaguars

Rumors that former University of Florida and Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer is asking for $12 million per year to coach the Jacksonville Jaguars are reportedly false.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, while Meyer will be "well compensated" if he takes the job in Jacksonville, there is no accuracy to the $12 million figure.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk reported Monday that Meyer is the Jaguars' first choice to replace the fired Doug Marrone and is seeking $12 million annually.

Despite Rapoport's tweet, Florio stood by his report Tuesday:

On Monday, Florio noted that $12 million per year wouldn't necessarily be an astronomical figure for Meyer considering the Carolina Panthers gave Matt Rhule a contract worth $9 million per year last offseason.

Like Meyer, Rhule had never been an NFL head coach previously, although he did spend one year as the assistant offensive line coach for the New York Giants before becoming the head man at Temple and Baylor.

Rhule did some impressive things in the college ranks, taking Temple from a two-win season in 2013 to 10-win seasons in both 2015 and 2016. He also elevated Baylor from a one-win campaign in 2017 to an 11-win season just two years later.

As successful as Rhule was in college, it doesn't hold a candle to what Meyer did in 17 seasons at Bowling Green, Utah, Florida and Ohio State.

The 56-year-old won two national championships at Florida and one at Ohio State, and he won a multitude of coach of the year awards throughout his career.

Meyer boasts an overall record of 187-32 and never won fewer than eight games in a season. That includes an undefeated season at Utah, three 13-win seasons at Florida and seven seasons with double-digit wins at OSU.

Meyer retired from coaching after the 2018 season, but the Jaguars are reportedly attempting to make him reconsider, and they have a major chip working in their favor.

After going 1-15 this season, the Jags own the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, which they are likely to use on Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

The chance to coach a player like Lawrence is a good starting point for discussions between Meyer and the Jaguars, but the organization will undoubtedly have to pony up in terms of salary as well, even if it isn't for $12 million per year.

The Jacksonville Jaguars officially fired Doug Marrone on Monday morning, and they've found a candidate for his replacement on the opposite coast.

The Jaguars requested to interview San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, 49ers general manager John Lynch said Monday (h/t Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk). 

Lynch also said the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions have asked to contact Saleh about their own head coaching positions. 

Marrone was let go Monday after four full seasons as head coach. He led the team on an interim basis for the final two games of the 2016 season following the firing of Gus Bradley.

While Marrone was able to turn things around in 2017, when the team went 10-6 en route to the AFC Championship, he collected a 12-36 record across the next three seasons. 

Saleh engineered a similar turnaround in San Francisco. He was hired as defensive coordinator in February 2017, after three seasons as the Jaguars' linebackers coach. After a 4-12 campaign in 2018, San Francisco won the NFC Championship after a 13-3 season.

They finished an injury-plagued 2020 with a 6-10 record. 

Head coach Kyle Shanahan has already acknowledged the reality that he could lose his defensive coordinator for the upcoming season: 

"I will be very surprised just like you said, if we don't lose them. I don't know what's wrong with people if they don't hire him. I mean, he's as good as you can get and knows more about football, all three phases. And he's going to hire the best staff. He knows about players. He knows who knows what they're talking about. Who doesn't know what they're talking about. And he also knows how to deal with people."

The Jaguars, who ended the season at 1-15, are considered an "attractive" destination for those seeking general manager and head coaching jobs because of the possibility to select projected top pick, Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, in the 2021 NFL draft, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Urban Meyer has been linked to the head coaching vacancy with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he won't come cheap.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Meyer is seeking $12 million per year to come out of retirement and become the head coach of Jacksonville.

The Jaguars announced Monday they have fired Doug Marrone after a 1-15 season.

Florio previously reported the job is Meyer's if he wants it. The former Ohio State coach is reportedly contacting people to fill out his staff, according to Florio.

Jaguars owner Shad Khan denied discussing the job with Meyer when speaking to reporters Monday.

"I've known Urban over the years... but we have not spoken to anyone about this job or interviewed them," Khan said. "We made this decision this morning, and I'll leave it at that."

It could still be a desirable opening this offseason, as ESPN's Adam Schefter noted:

Jacksonville would be an interesting home for Meyer, who has never coached in the NFL but has proved himself at the college level. The 56-year-old has a 187-32 career record in Division I with Ohio State, Florida, Utah and Bowling Green, winning three national championships.

Even with that impressive resume, $12 million is a lofty asking price for any coach.

According to John Breech of CBS Sports, Meyer would match Bill Belichick as the highest-paid coach in the NFL, though salaries are not public and the New England Patriots coach could be making more.

Matt Rhule reportedly received a seven-year contract from the Carolina Panthers that could be worth up to $70 million with incentives, per Schefter. Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden also reportedly got a 10-year, $100 million contract to return to the field from television.

These figures could help the Jaguars justify a high-priced deal for Meyer this offseason.

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced Monday that they officially parted ways with head coach Doug Marrone after four-plus seasons.

Jacksonville posted three consecutive losing campaigns after winning the AFC South in 2017. The team lost 15 straight games following a 27-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 this season. 

There had been speculation that Marrone's tenure in Jacksonville would come to an end following the 2019 season. ESPN's Dianna Russini reported prior to the regular-season finale against the Colts that Marrone had been informed he wouldn't be retained.

Jaguars co-owner Tony Khan denied that report on Twitter:

Jacksonville confirmed that Marrone would be back in 2020, but that decision didn't go as well as hoped, as the Jags posted their worst record in franchise history.

Marrone took over the Jaguars on an interim basis late in the 2016 season when Gus Bradley was fired. The 56-year-old went 1-1 to finish the campaign and earned the permanent job in January 2017. 

Jacksonville immediately took off under Marrone's leadership. He went 10-6 in his first season to win the division and led the Jaguars to the playoffs for the first time since 2007. The team reached the conference title game for the first time since 1999 before losing to the New England Patriots. 

A strong defensive foundation seemed like it would keep the Jaguars in playoff contention for the foreseeable future, but things unraveled quickly because of regression on that side of the ball and instability at quarterback. 

Amid the Jags' struggles on the field, the 2019 season was also noteworthy for Jacksonville because star cornerback Jalen Ramsey, a first-round pick in 2016, grew frustrated with the organization and requested a trade early in the campaign. He was dealt to the Los Angeles Rams in October for two first-round draft picks and a fourth-rounder in 2021. 

Nick Foles received a four-year, $88 million contract in March 2019 to upgrade the Jaguars' quarterback situation. He broke his collarbone in Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs, missed eight games and ultimately got benched in favor of rookie Gardner Minshew II amid ongoing struggles. 

Minshew was given the starting job to open the 2020 season after Jacksonville traded Foles to the Chicago Bears. Minshew's struggles and injuries led to Mike Glennon and rookie sixth-round draft pick Jake Luton starting multiple games. 

The Jaguars finished last in the AFC South in each of the past three seasons with a combined 12-36 record. 

Marrone finished 23-43 during his tenure in Jacksonville. His extensive resume as an offensive coach in the NFL and college should allow him to find a new job quickly, though it may have to come as an assistant before he gets a chance at a head coaching gig. 

The Jaguars need to figure out a direction for their franchise, starting with their next head coach and whomever they decide to pick with the No. 1 overall selection in the 2021 NFL draft.     

One name the Jacksonville Jaguars are reportedly considering in their search for a new head coach is Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.

According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Jags' No. 1 choice to replace Doug Marrone, who was fired from his position as head coach Monday, is former University of Florida and Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer.

If the Jaguars are unable to lure Meyer out of retirement, Daboll is reportedly a strong candidate to become the new head coach in Jacksonville, which is also the likely landing spot for Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence since the Jags own the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

Daboll, 45, is in his third season as offensive coordinator of the Bills, and he has been paramount in the development of quarterback Josh Allen into an MVP candidate.

Buffalo has made significant strides offensively during Daboll's tenure. The Bills ranked 30th in both total offense and scoring in his first season and 24th in total offense and 23rd in scoring last season before ranking second in both categories in 2020.

The Bills put up 31.3 points per game this season en route to a 13-3 record and their first AFC East crown since 1995. Allen rewrote the team's single-season passing record book with 4,544 yards and 37 touchdowns.

The arrival of wide receiver Stefon Diggs undoubtedly played a huge role in the success of both Allen and Daboll, as Diggs led the NFL with 127 receptions for 1,535 yards and set team records in both categories.

Daboll—who won five Super Bowls on the New England Patriots' staff and a College Football Playoff national championship under Nick Saban at Alabama—figures to be one of the hottest head coaching candidates during the offseason, but with the Buffalo offense possessing so much talent, he can afford to be picky.

The Bills are set up for success next season and beyond, so staying another year would likely only make Daboll even more sought after.

It is fair to question if taking the head coaching job of a team coming off a 1-15 season and ranking 28th in total offense is the best move, but the likelihood of Lawrence arriving changes things.

With Lawrence running the show along with running back James Robinson, who put up huge numbers as an undrafted rookie this season, there may be enough talent present to entice Daboll.

Most pundits expected Allen to be a flop, but Daboll helped mold him into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Most pundits expect Lawrence to be a superstar, so there is no telling what Daboll may be able to do with him.

Former college football head coach Urban Meyer, who won a pair of national championships at Florida and one for Ohio State, reportedly expects to be named as the Jacksonville Jaguars' next head coach.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Saturday that the Jags are expected to replace incumbent head coach Doug Marrone shortly after the team's season ends on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.

He then provided this note on Meyer: "The team has shown interest in former Florida and Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, who has been lining up a staff and telling people he's close to in the football community that he expects to land in Jacksonville, per sources."

Meyer went 187-32 during 17 seasons as the head coach for Bowling Green, Utah, Florida and Ohio State. Ten of his teams finished in the top six of the Associated Press poll.

Meyer stepped down after the 2018 season because of health concerns and has worked as a college football analyst for Fox Sports. A foray into the NFL would be his first-ever since starting his coaching career with St. Xavier High School outside of Cincinnati in 1985.

If the 56-year-old Meyer isn't the final choice or decides to stay retired, then his OSU successor, Ryan Day, will be under consideration, per Rapoport. Day has lost just one game in two years as the Buckeyes' head coach and piloted the team to the College Football Playoff National Championship against No. 1 Alabama this year.

Whoever takes the Jaguars' job has a tough task ahead. Jacksonville is 1-14 after dropping its last 14 games, although the team has some talented players on both sides of the ball, including linebacker Josh Allen and running back James Robinson.

Adding a player like Lawrence would be a tremendous boost to any franchise, and Meyer reportedly is interested in working with him.

"It smells like he just wants Trevor Lawrence," an anonymous executive told Mike Sando of The Athletic. "Good for him, and if I were to draft Lawrence, I would look for the best head coach."

Jacksonville will have the opportunity to take Lawrence on April 29, which marks the first day of the 2021 NFL draft. The Jags have secured the draft's No. 1 overall pick.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are preparing to move on from head coach Doug Marrone and are expected to target Urban Meyer and Ryan Day as his replacement, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. 

Meyer, who retired from coaching in 2018, is seen as the team's top target, with Day, his successor at Ohio State, likely next on the short list. 

The Jacksonville job figures to draw some notable attention if the team does end up parting ways with Marrone. The franchise owns the No. 1 draft pick this spring, features a talented receiving corps in Chris Conley, Laviska Shenault Jr. and DJ Chark Jr., and boasts a defense being rebuilt around 2020 first-rounder K'Lavon Chaisson at linebacker. 

That makes Marrone expendable after a four-plus-year stint with a 23-42 record. 

Day's stock surged Saturday after he led No. 3 Ohio State to an improbable 49-28 rout over No. 2 Clemson. While his focus now turns to a championship matchup against No. 1 Alabama next Monday, NFL executives are beginning to hone in on him as a potential fit. He would be the second high-profile college coach to make the leap from the NCAA to the NFL in as many offseasons after Baylor's Matt Rhule was named Carolina Panthers head coach last winter. 

In two seasons leading the Buckeyes, Day is 23-1 with two first-place finishes in the Big Ten East. That's made only more impressive by the fact he had to follow Meyer, who led Ohio State to the 2014 national championship and went 83-9 over seven years. 

According to Rapoport, Meyer has been intrigued by NFL jobs in the past but has yet to make the leap to the pros. At 56 years old, and with previous health issues spurring his retirement, it's unclear how much interest he has in returning to the sidelines. 

There's no shortage of jobs available should Meyer want back in the game. If not, Day might be next in line. 

Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson will miss Sunday's finale against the Indianapolis Colts. 

Head coach Doug Marrone confirmed an ankle injury will keep Robinson out. Quarterback Mike Glennon will also start ahead of Gardner Minshew II.

Glennon was under center for Jacksonville's 41-17 loss to the Chicago Bears on Dec. 27, throwing for 211 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Little has gone right for the Jaguars in 2020. They beat the Indianapolis Colts in their opening game before losing 14 straight. Jacksonville fired general manager David Caldwell on Nov. 29, and Marrone might be the next to go. A new starting quarterback will also clearly arrive in the offseason.

The Jags at least seem to have their running back of the future in Robinson.

An undrafted free agent, the former Illinois State star has run for 1,070 yards and seven touchdowns. He has also caught 49 passes for 344 yards and three scores.

Robinson missed Jacksonville's Week 16 encounter. At the time, he had accounted for just under 79 percent of the team's rushing attempts, illustrating how much the offense has leaned on him.

Losing Robinson for another game is an obvious blow to the Jaguars, who are likely counting down the days until they can use the top pick in April's draft.    

The Jacksonville Jaguars have clinched the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft following their 41-17 loss to the Chicago Bears and the New York Jets' 23-16 win over the Cleveland Browns.

The 1-14 Jags will finish with the league's worst record. The 2-13 Jets are the only team that can tie them with a league-worst mark, but Jacksonville would get the No. 1 overall pick by virtue of having a weaker strength of schedule, which acts as the first tiebreaker to determine draft order.

Jacksonville will now find itself in position to pick Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who has long been considered the top prospect, and projected No. 1 pick, in the 2021 NFL draft.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Jacksonville has become an attractive potential destination for head coach and general manager candidates with the Jags positioned to take the signal-caller.

Lawrence hasn't officially declared for the NFL draft and can return to Clemson for his senior season. However, Lawrence has little left to prove at Clemson, which has lost just two games during the quarterback's three seasons in school.

Lawrence was sidelined for one of those defeats (a 47-40 overtime loss to Notre Dame this year) because of COVID-19. The other came in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game against LSU last January.

Otherwise, Clemson has been spectacular with Lawrence under center, winning the national championship two seasons ago to cap a 15-0 record and finishing 14-1 last year.

The 10-1 Tigers won the ACC title this season and will face Ohio State in the CFP semifinals.

Lawrence has completed 66.5 percent of his passes for 88 touchdowns and 16 interceptions during his career. He's also rushed for 951 yards and 17 touchdowns. Clemson has gone 38-1 with him leading the way.

If Lawrence declares for the NFL draft and the Jaguars ultimately decide to roll with him as the face of their franchise, the Clemson star will be tasked with guiding a Jags team that has gone just 12-35 in the last three seasons.

The Jacksonville Jaguars reportedly have become a destination of interest for potential general managers and head coaches ahead of the 2021 offseason.

ESPN's Adam Schefter, citing sources, reported Sunday morning that "general manager and potential head coaching candidates are paying close attention" to the Jaguars because "Jacksonville's GM and head coaching jobs have become much more attractive to candidates, who have talked about what an opportunity it would be to work with projected top draft pick Trevor Lawrence."

Jerry Reese, who won two Super Bowls as general manager of the New York Giants, is among the candidates for the vacancy at the position with the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. 

Reese has already interviewed with the Jaguars, who are looking to replace Dave Caldwell. Caldwell, who was hired as general manager in January 2013, was fired Nov. 29 when the team was 1-10, the third year in a row with at least 10 losses.

Reese was long-tenured in the Giants organization, joining the club in 1994 and working as a scout before he was named director of player personnel in 2004. His teams knocked off the New England Patriots in Super Bowls XLII and XLVI. 

He was fired alongside head coach Ben McAdoo when the team started the 2017 season 2-10, departing with a 91-85 record in 11 seasons as general manager.

"Jerry was an excellent GM," one executive told Rapoport. "It's crazy to me he hasn't been hired again."

Per Rapoport, Reese has been in the running for jobs as general manager and at other personnel positions since he was let go by the Giants but reportedly has no interest in filling a role besides general manager, though he could also find a home with the Carolina Panthers, working with his former assistant coach Matt Rhule. 

Whoever locks up the job in Jacksonville will inherit a team that has tied a franchise record with 13 straight losses, but in addition to the potential for the No. 1 pick, the Jaguars have 11 selections in the draft and nearly $100 million in cap space. 

Jacksonville has at least two other candidates for the job, according to Schefter, as former Texans general manager Rick Smith and ESPN analyst Louis Riddick have interviewed.