Jaguars players, coaches, reportedly fed up with Urban Meyer

You only need to glance at the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 2-10 record to know head coach Urban Meyer’s first year isn’t going well. But things are somehow even worse than they appear, and it only seems to be getting worse. 

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Meyer’s attitude, approach, and coaching style have led to “multiple run-ins” with players and coaches in recent weeks. He’s reportedly berated his coaching staff, gotten into a public fight with a player, and gave an outsized punishment to one of the team’s best players while giving preferential treatment to one of his old Ohio State players. 

Meyer reportedly angers his own players

Pelissero detailed several incidents that have reportedly taken place in Jacksonville just over the last two weeks. 

Meyer’s constant public and private criticism of the Jags’ receivers reportedly led wide receiver Marvin Jones (who Pelissero calls “one of the locker room’s most respected and mild-mannered veterans”) to angrily storm out of the practice facility. According to Pelissero, staff members had to convince Jones to return. And once he did return, he had a “heated argument” with Meyer at practice.

Just last week, Meyer chose to bench running back James Robinson, who broke out in 2020 but has been handcuffed under Meyer. Following the 37-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Meyer said Robinson was out due to injury — an explanation that made no sense since Robinson had returned to the game and gotten a few carries.

So why was Robinson really benched? According to Pelissero, Meyer benched Robinson as punishment for an opening drive fumble. Replacing him was Carlos Hyde, who played under Meyer at Ohio State and had also fumbled. This season Meyer has sometimes preferred playing Hyde, a journeyman, over Robinson. That appeared to be the case against the Rams in Week 14, when Meyer reportedly had running backs coach Bernie Parmalee stop Robinson from getting back into the game. 

Story continues

Robinson only returned to the game…