PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 01: Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer speaks to the media after the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2019 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)All signs point to Jacksonville being the top landing spot for Urban Meyer, but it turns out there’s another NFL franchise interested in the former Ohio State head coach.
According to NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, the Los Angeles Chargers continue to look into Meyer as a candidate for their job opening. They fired Anthony Lynn after he led the team to a 7-9 record this season.
The timing of this news is quite interesting. With the Jaguars and Meyer reportedly in a “standstill,” the Chargers could apply some pressure on the Jaguars to get a deal done as soon as possible.
On the other hand, the Chargers could genuinely be interested in making Meyer their next head coach. He’d be an intriguing option to mentor rookie quarterback Justin Herbert.
As the spotlight shines on Urban Meyer and the #Jaguars, this is interesting: The #Chargers have continued to look into and explore Meyer as a candidate, sources tell me and @MikeGarafolo. The two sides have spoken recently.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 13, 2021
Just the thought of Meyer coaching an NFL team is exciting, but there are some concerns as to whether he’s fully committed to making the jump.
“It seems to me that Urban Meyer is yet to fully commit to being a head coach in the NFL,” Rapoport said. ” There might be something else that we just don’t know that they’re waiting on… Until Urban Meyer says ‘I will definitely be a head coach in the NFL’ and signs up, it seems the Jacksonville Jaguars are going to keep waiting.”
There are plenty of intriguing candidates on the coaching market, such as Eric Bieniemy, Joe Brady and Robert Saleh. However, none of them move the needle like Meyer does.
We’ll find out soon if Meyer wants to give the NFL a shot.
