AFC South

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan and his family have "no desire" to sell the team or relocate to another city, Khan told Gene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union.

"Like with death and taxes, I consider this is going to be part of our family for generations," said Khan. "I can tell you that with absolutely 100 percent certainty. After I've left the planet, both of my kids are very passionate about football and the Jaguars.

"They have no desire [to sell]. Zero."

The Jaguars have been linked to relocation for a while now, and there have been rumors about the team potentially relocating to London. However, the NFL has backed off the idea of putting a team there in general, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported in April:

It sounds like the NFL has inched back a little off its old aggressive approach to putting a team in London full-time, but not for a lack of trying. As [NFL chief strategy and growth officer Chris] Halpin sees it, there are five elements needed to make it happen: a fan base that will sustain it and sell out games, a stadium, local government support, working football logistics and, most importantly, an owner who wants to move.

The Jaguars had been mentioned in relocation speculation in part because they hadn't had a winning season since 2017, their only winning season in the last decade.

Jacksonville is also 2-10 this season and has little chance to make the playoffs after finishing 1-15 in 2020. In addition, there is tension between Jags head coach Urban Meyer, the players and other coaches, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, which means the franchise could be looking for another head coach very soon.

With things seemingly spiraling in Jacksonville, it's not surprising that the franchise has at least been talked about as a potential candidate for relocation. The Chargers relocated to L.A. in recent seasons, and the Raiders relocated to Las Vegas in 2020.

However, it's also not surprising that Khan is interested in keeping the team in Florida.

After landing former Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft, the Jaguars saw a bump in season-ticket sales. So while the team is struggling now, fans certainly believe Lawrence will be the one to put the team back on track.

Questions about Urban Meyer's future have reportedly reemerged amid growing tensions between the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach, the team's players and members of his coaching staff.

Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reported Saturday there have been "multiple run-ins with players and other coaches in recent weeks," but so far there are "no signs" Jags owner Shad Khan is considering a change either now or following the 2021 season.

ESPN reported Meyer would remain in the Jaguars' plans despite the report.

Meyer, who was hired in January, previously landed on the hot seat following a Week 4 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football.

Rather than fly back to Jacksonville with the team, he remained in his home state of Ohio to visit family during the Jaguars' extra few days off. A video was then posted on social media that showed a woman who wasn't his wife dancing on him in a bar.

Meyer later explained he held a team meeting after his return, which included him "owning a stupid mistake."

"The fact that I became a distraction, I've got to earn their trust back from that," Meyer told reporters Oct. 6.

Khan released a statement at the time saying he'd "addressed this matter" with the team's head coach while rumors about his future swirled around the organization.

"What I will say is his conduct last weekend was inexcusable," Khan said. "I appreciate Urban's remorse, which I believe is sincere. Now, he must regain our trust and respect. That will require a personal commitment from Urban to everyone who supports, represents or plays for our team. I am confident he will deliver."

Although the situation faded from the headlines, internal strife has continued behind the scenes.

Members of the organization have grown wary of Meyer's tendency to shift "blame to players and coaches," which has "exacerbated frustration" during a campaign when it's posted a 2-10 record, per Pelissero.

The NFL.com report listed several tension-filled interactions in recent weeks, including a heated argument between Meyer and wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. at practice and quarterback Trevor Lawrence questioning the coach's decision to bench running back James Robinson during last week's loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

In addition, Pelissero provided a tidbit about a recent meeting between the coaches:

During a staff meeting, Meyer delivered a biting message that he's a winner and his assistant coaches are losers, according to several people informed of the contents of the meeting, challenging each coach individually to explain when they've ever won and forcing them to defend their resumes.

As the issues continue to mount, the question shifts to whether Khan will consider changing his stance on Meyer in the coming weeks.

The Jaguars, who will soon be eliminated from playoff contention, have five games left in the regular season, starting Sunday when they visit Nissan Stadium to take on the Tennessee Titans.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay donated $3 million this week to help fund a mental health research center.

According to the Associated Press, the center will be called the Irsay Family Research Institute, and it will be located on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.

Regarding the donation, Irsay said:

"The stigma surrounding mental health is a matter of life and death, and we must do everything possible to lessen that stigma and remove this obstacle to people getting the help they need. Indiana University already has been one of the world's leaders in studying mental health, and we're so pleased this outstanding resource is in our home state so together we can advance this important conversation."

Irsay, 62, has been the Colts' owner since the death of his father, Robert Irsay, in 1997.

With Irsay at the helm, the Colts have experienced some of their greatest successes, including 10 division titles, two Super Bowl appearances and a Super Bowl win in 2006.

The Irsay era has included many of the greatest players in franchise history as well, such as quarterback Peyton Manning, running back Edgerrin James and wide receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne.

The AP noted Irsay's latest endeavor is the continuation of an effort in May that saw the Colts raise $4.5 million to aid institutions in providing mental health treatment.

As for the Irsay Family Research Institute, it will aim to "[provide] direct support and development of research and researchers, and [produce] more graduates capable of working in the mental health industry."

After taking over for Tyrod Taylor in the third quarter of last week's game against the Indianapolis Colts, Davis Mills will remain the Houston Texans' starting quarterback for the rest of the season.

Head coach David Culley made the announcement Friday. 

Culley told reporters that Taylor "didn't like the decision."

"I wouldn't have liked it either, but this is a production business," he said. "We needed a spark. We needed a change."

Nothing about the Texans has been stable this season, including their quarterback play.

Taylor has shown flashes, especially at the start of the season. He led the Texans to a 37-21 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. The 32-year-old went 21-of-33 for 291 yards and two touchdowns. 

Next week against the Cleveland Browns, Taylor started 10-of-11 for 125 yards and one touchdown. He also ran for a score before a hamstring injury kept him out for the second half. 

Since returning in Week 9, Taylor has completed just 56.6 percent of his attempts with two touchdowns and five interceptions in four games. 

Mills has had some solid performances that suggest he could be figuring things out. He threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns in a 25-22 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 5. 

Against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 8, Mills threw for 310 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Some of those numbers came in garbage time because the Texans were losing 38-0 going into the fourth quarter before scoring 22 unanswered points. 

The Texans are 2-10, and their priority should be evaluating players who can contribute in 2022.

Mills was Houston's top pick in the 2021 draft (No. 67 overall). The 23-year-old is completing 65.5 percent of his passes with 1,406 yards, seven touchdowns and eight interceptions in eight appearances (six starts) this season. 

The Tennessee Titans believe star running back Derrick Henry will return from foot surgery "on the early side" of his recovery timeline, per ESPN's Dianna Russini.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Nov. 1 that Henry would be out for six to 10 weeks. However, he noted six weeks would be "quite fast" and that a return after eight weeks seemed more likely. 

Henry underwent foot surgery Nov. 2. Russini previously reported, "there is optimism that [Henry] will be back early January."

Getting him back before the playoffs would be ideal for the Titans, who are in the running for the top spot in the AFC with an 8-4 record entering their Week 13 bye.

Last week, Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said Henry has been diligent in his recovery process and "is working hard to do everything he can to get back." Tennessee's running backs coach Tony Dews added the 27-year-old is in "good spirits" and is "working hard" throughout his rehab. 

Henry had been the best running back in the NFL before suffering the foot ailment. Through eight games, the 2020 Offensive Player of the Year rushed for 937 yards and 10 touchdowns on 219 carries, in addition to catching 18 passes for 154 yards on 20 targets. 

Even though he hasn't played since Week 8, he ranks third in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.

In addition to Henry, the Titans are without wide receivers A.J. Brown and Julio Jones, who are on injured reserve. Brown is dealing with chest, rib and hand ailments suffered in a 22-13 loss to the Houston Texans in Week 11. Jones has been struggling with a hamstring issue. 

Jones is eligible to return in Week 14, while Brown can return later this month. 

If the Titans have their top trio of offensive weapons available for the postseason, they should be one of the most difficult teams to play against in the AFC. 

While players such as J.J. Watt and DeAndre Hopkins have departed the Houston Texans organization over the last year, one NFL draft prospect has said he would love to play for the franchise despite the uncertainty surrounding the club. 

Michigan star defensive end Aiden Hutchinson, who could possibly be the top pick in the 2022 draft, said he'd be happy to join the Texans if they picked him during an appearance on The Wheelhouse with Jake Asman, Cody Stoots, & Brad Kellner on ESPN 97.5 (h/t ProFootballTalk).

“When I got off the airplane, it felt right,” said Hutchinson, who was in Houston for the Lombardi Award announcement. “I can’t lie to you: Just the air, the atmosphere, the vibes, Houston is a good place to be. If they draft me, I’d love to play for the Texans.”

The Lombardi Award is awarded to the best lineman in college football. Hutchinson won the award over Texas A&M offensive lineman Kenyon Green, Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum and Iowa State linebacker Mike Rose.

The 21-year-old had an incredible 2021 season, recording 13.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, 15 tackles for loss and 55 tackles. He was also named a Heisman Trophy finalist for his efforts this year and will get the opportunity to increase his draft stock even further when Michigan meets Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinal Orange Bowl on Dec. 31. 

The Texans currently have the No. 3 selection in the 2022 draft. However, it's unclear what the franchise might be planning to do with that pick. Houston has several areas it needs to address over the offseason, including quarterback, the offensive line and the secondary. 

Regardless, though, Hutchinson appears to be the team's best option. This year's quarterback class isn't as great as it was in 2021, and Hutchinson has been viewed as one of the best pass rushers in college football over the past few seasons, so the Texans can't go wrong drafting him. 

However, if Hutchinson is off the board when the Texans are on the clock, Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux or Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal could also be great options. 

In addition to the Texans, Hutchinson, who grew up in Plymouth, Michigan, says he would not be opposed to playing for the Detroit Lions. Though, he did mention he grew up a New England Patriots fan.

“You know, growing up, it was hard being a Lions fan. Lions have been struggling for a while. I actually grew up a Patriots fan with Tom Brady and stuff like that. So, I never really loved the Lions too much. But, hey, if they pick me, they’re getting it all.”

The Lions currently have the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft.  

Zach Cunningham's tenure with the Houston Texans has reportedly ended. 

Per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, the fifth-year linebacker will be placed on waivers on Wednesday. 

The move comes 15 months after the Texans signed Cunningham to a four-year, $58 million contract extension in August 2020. 

There were a lot of reasons for the #Texans to try to make it work with Zach Cunningham, who the previous regime gave a 4-year, $58M contract. It didn’t happen. Now, the team has a $12.8M dead cap hit next year. So much to fix and get past in Houston.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 8, 2021

Per ESPN's Field Yates, any team that might claim Cunningham will only absorb a $275,000 cap hit after the Texans restructured his deal before the start of the season. 

Yates added Cunningham's deal has no more guaranteed money remaining after 2021, "making him even more likely to find a team via waivers."

If Cunningham makes it through waivers unclaimed, he will become an unrestricted free agent eligible to sign with any team immediately. 

McClain noted Cunningham was inactive for Sunday's 31-0 loss to the Indianapolis Colts when he "failed to appear for the players’ regular COVID-19 test."

Kevin Pierre-Louis, who made his first start of the season against the Colts, will likely move into Cunningham's spot as Houston's primary strong-side linebacker. 

It marked the second time this season that Cunningham has been subject to disciplinary action from the Texans. He was benched during the team's Week 2 loss against the Cleveland Browns for unspecified reasons. 

Cunningham's extension was signed when Bill O'Brien was still in his role as head coach and general manager in Houston. O'Brien was fired after an 0-4 start last season. 

First-year general manager Nick Caserio and head coach David Culley have taken on the task of trying to rebuild a depleted Texans roster. Cunningham agreed to restructure his deal in March to create more cap space. 

Texans LB Zach Cunningham had $7.51M of his 2021 base salary converted into a signing bonus, creating $5.6325M in 2021 cap space.

With three more players officially signed on Monday, Houston's busy free agency under GM Nick Caserio continued.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 30, 2021

A second-round pick by the Texans in the 2017 NFL draft, Cunningham has appeared in 72 games over the past five seasons. He recorded more than 100 combined tackles in each of the previous three seasons, including an NFL-high 164 in 2020. 

The Vanderbilt alum also led the league with 106 solo tackles last year. He played every defensive snap in five of his 10 games for the Texans in 2021.    

Houston Texans quarterback Tyrod Taylor reportedly may have suffered torn ligaments in his left wrist in Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the injury, later noting Taylor is considered week-to-week and Davis Mills is in line to start against the Seattle Seahawks next week.

The 32-year-old has completed 60.7 percent of his passes for 966 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions in his first year with Houston.

The 11-year NFL veteran has played for the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers and Texans. He was a three-year starter in Buffalo from 2015 to 2017, earning a Pro Bowl appearance in 2015 and helping the Bills to their first playoff berth in 18 years in 2017.

Taylor became the starting quarterback for the Texans this year. He took over for Deshaun Watson, who faces 22 civil lawsuits and 10 criminal complaints by women accusing him of sexual assault and misconduct

Watson is on the active roster but has been declared out each week with a non-injury-related designation on the team's injury reports.

Taylor guided Houston to victory in Week 1 over the Jacksonville Jaguars and led a strong first-half effort against the Cleveland Browns in Week 2.

However, the Virginia Tech product pulled up in the end zone and limped to the sideline after a 15-yard second-quarter touchdown run during his team's 31-21 loss to the Browns.

He then missed the next six games with a hamstring injury. 

With Taylor out, Mills will return to the starting role. The ex-Stanford star, who Houston selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft, has completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 1,406 yards, seven touchdowns and eight interceptions in eight games (six starts) this year.

A visit from the GOAT took center stage during Wednesday's episode of Hard Knocks in Season: The Indianapolis Colts.

It was the third episode of HBO's show that is going behind the scenes during the regular season for the first time in its history. Sunday's game between the Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which the visitors won 38-31, was the major plot point, but it wasn't the only one.

In fact, the show started on quite the positive note for Indianapolis as media coverage of the team's win over the Buffalo Bills in which Jonathan Taylor scored five touchdowns played in the background of the team's facility.

Making moves in the MVP race is one thing, but Taylor was also recognized as Nickelodeon's player of the week for his efforts. T.Y. Hilton slimed the running back, while Grover Stewart presented him with his trophy with makeshift slime on his head.

It was the type of light-hearted moment that Hard Knocks is known for, as was Darius Leonard running into the wall because he was paying attention to his phone and Hilton winning a basketball shooting contest during a break in film study:

Look up Darius, say cheese! 📸@DSLeon45 | #HardKnocks pic.twitter.com/WLW4TZicYA

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) December 2, 2021

Watch out, @Rigojio88. 👀

Episode 3 of #HardKnocks drops tonight at 10 on @hbomax. pic.twitter.com/FpeJafK3kL

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) December 2, 2021

Throw in Carson Wentz recalling a time he punted during a high school All-Star Game and a surprise 60th birthday party for head coach Frank Reich, and there were plenty of amusing storylines outside of the preparation for Tom Brady and the Buccaneers.

Nobody stood out more off the field than cornerback Kenny Moore II, who was one of many Colts players who gave back by providing Thanksgiving food for the community. He also told the story of when he met Mason Garvey in November 2018.

What started as a hospital visit turned into a lifelong friendship 💙#HardKnocks airs Wednesday 10pm on @hbomax pic.twitter.com/QQyodfd6zm

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) November 30, 2021

She really couldn't believe it was them 🤣@KennyKennyMoe3 | #HardKnocks pic.twitter.com/FX3P9AeiZT

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) December 2, 2021

Mason was a child with Stage 4 cancer whom Moore became close with after a hospital visit. Mason died in June 2020, but the cornerback remains friends with the Garvey family and spent Thanksgiving with them this year while reminiscing about the time he spent with the youngster.

As for the actual game, a matchup with Brady meant Leonard wasn't going to talk trash like he usually does:

.@dsleon45 had too much respect to trash talk Brady ✊

—

A new episode of #HardKnocks In Season: The @Colts airs tonight 10pm on @hbomax https://t.co/bZTrpVg3Qr

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) December 1, 2021

Unfortunately for the Colts, it was the Buccaneers who earned the right to talk trash.

Leonard Fournette was unstoppable with four total touchdowns, one of which gave the visitors the lead for good in the final seconds when he broke free as they were running the clock down for a potential game-winning field goal.

HAVE YOURSELF A DAY LEONARD FOURNETTE 😳

4 TDs for the Bucs RB

(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/5tp41r28bX

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 28, 2021

Indianapolis also fell apart after a promising start.

Wentz threw three touchdowns in the first half to stake the Colts to a 10-point lead at intermission, but he turned it over three times in the second half. Indianapolis also struggled to get Taylor rolling until the fourth quarter when he found the end zone during a game-tying drive.

Tampa Bay clearly made it a priority to keep the star running back in relative check after he torched the Bills, and it worked for much of the game.

Even with the loss, the Colts are still in the playoff race at 6-6 and have largely bounced back from a 1-4 start thanks in large part to Taylor's individual brilliance.

it wouldn't be a surprise if there was more of it on display in next week's episode, which will detail the upcoming game against the 2-9 Houston Texans.

Urban Meyer is making it clear in no uncertain terms: He will not be heading to Notre Dame.

"I'm not a candidate," Meyer told reporters Tuesday.

Meyer's name was a natural possibility after Brian Kelly departed for LSU late Monday night. The Jacksonville Jaguars coach has repeatedly called Notre Dame his "dream job" in the past.

Meyer's first NFL season has been anything but a success, with the Jaguars entering Week 14 at 2-9. The Jaguars are one loss away from eclipsing Meyer's total from his seven-year run at Ohio State.

An offensive guru at the collegiate level, Meyer has failed time and again to get any consistency from the Jaguars. Jacksonville has scored 20 points in a game only three times all season, and the young roster has not shown any marked improvement as the season has progressed.

Rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence, billed as one of the great prospects of his generation, has been a considerable disappointment. He's thrown for 2,369 yards and nine touchdowns against 10 interceptions in his first 11 career starts. The Clemson product has not thrown for multiple touchdowns in a game since Week 1. 

Meyer also made headlines for his off-field exploits in September when he stayed in Ohio, where he was born, rather than traveling with the team after a Week 4 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. He was roundly criticized, including by owner Shad Khan, after video of him interacting with a young woman at a bar surfaced on social media. Meyer apologized profusely after the incident. 

While there was speculation Meyer would be fired or resign at the time, he's stayed on in Jacksonville without finding much success. Meyer was 187-32 in stops at Bowling Green, Utah, Florida and Ohio State as a college head coach.