Urban Meyer comments on rumors surrounding his job status

Urban Meyer should be excited. The Jacksonville Jaguars won their first game in 21 tries on Sunday, defeating the Miami Dolphins on a last-second field goal for their first win of the season.

However, even though the win must feel good, it’s still a drop in the bucket compared to the negative press and rumors that have swirled around the franchise all season long, mostly around Meyer himself. The off-field drama, coupled with reports of players being unhappy with him, and ownership making a terse statement about him, have led many to believe that Urban will leave after the season (or during) and that he’ll want to return to the safe havens of college football.

Meyer spoke with Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated recently and made it clear that not only does he not read about any rumors about him in the media, but he also has no intention of leaving the Jaguars.

“I just do not read a thing. I just stay away from it. I try to go on a submarine and go to work every day. And I care deeply about our locker room, care deeply about our staff, and other than that I go home,” Meyer said. “And I’ve been through this a long time and I know there’s going to be things said. I have a great owner, a great owner that I’ve talked with frequently, and we have a great GM [Trent Baalke], and we’re going to be working our tail off to get this thing flipped.”

Of course, Meyer can only control so much. The expectation was that Jacksonville would struggle this season but there are also player concerns and future considerations that the franchise needs to consider. And if those rumors of player unhappiness continue, coupled with a sense that things aren’t improving on the field, it could be a shorter stint than anticipated, no matter how much Meyer enjoys being there.