Urban Meyer rumors: Jaguars appear to be the finalist for former Ohio State head coach

UPDATE: Meyer has landed in Jacksonville.

Thursday Jan. 15 update: Adam Schefter is reporting Meyer and the Jaguars are in advanced talks after a Wednesday meeting.

Tuesday Jan. 5 update: There are several openings and two teams have reportedly expressed interest in hiring Urban Meyer. Pro Football Talk is reporting the Jaguars want him and Bruce Feldman is reporting the Chargers have some interest in hiring him.

The NFL is eight days away from Black Monday, when a mass of firings usually happen. Three NFL head coaches have already been fired and more are expected in the hours and days following the close of Week 17.

The traditional calendar tells us when that arrives, but certain events will also remind us coach hiring season is approaching. One such example is the nearly annual rumors that teams would be interested in hiring former college head coach Urban Meyer.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday morning that “at least two NFL teams have reached out to Urban Meyer to see whether the former Ohio State coach would be interested in interviewing for — if not accepting — a head-coaching job.” Schefter reported Meyer did not dismiss the offers out of hand and is going to decide in the next week if he wants to make the move to the NFL.

Meyer has never coached in the NFL in any kind of role. His last coaching job was as head coach of Ohio State, from which he retired in 2018. He won one national title at Ohio State and two more at Florida.

The Florida connection will get plenty of speculation if and when the Jacksonville Jaguars fire Doug Marrone. But if he decides to take an NFL job, we could see him connected to several teams in what very well could turn into a bidding war. Even though he’s never coached in the NFL, there’s no doubt he would intrigue several owners.