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Another year, another report that the Jaguars may be firing coach Doug Marrone.
Last year, ESPN reported on the Saturday before the end of the regular season that Marrone had been informed that he would be fired after the Game of Week 17. This year, NFL Media is opting for the much safer suggestion that the Jaguars “ they must ”fire Marrone.
The Jaguars are the worst team in football. They have already fired general manager Dave Caldwell. Of course, they must fire Marrone.
This is where it gets a little more interesting. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that if Marrone gets fired, the team could chase former Florida and Ohio coach Urban Meyer, whose name emerged last Sunday as a potential NFL alternative.
“The team showed interest in former Florida and Ohio coach Urban Meyer, who is forming a team and telling people close to the football community that he hopes to land in Jacksonville, according to sources,” writes Rapoport.
It is a somewhat surprising suggestion, since the notion that the Jaguars led Meyer to believe that the job is his, if he wants to, would turn the Rooney Rule upside down at a time when the NFL seems more determined than never to ensure that teams engage in diverse, inclusive and deliberate research.
Hiring Meyer would also raise the question of whether Meyer would consider selecting Ohio state quarterback Justin Fields over Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with first choice in the draft or potentially a turnaround in a deal with the Jets, allowing New York to take Lawrence and then selecting Campos.
In any case, the first step will be to decide on Doug Marrone’s future. As we learned last year, he doesn’t leave until he leaves. As soon as he leaves, things can get interesting in Jacksonville.