Could Urban Meyer return to coaching by making the jump to the NFL?
According to multiple reports, he's at least considering the possibility.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sunday 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 at the next level.”
“Meyer, according to a source connected to one of those teams, did not dismiss the overtures and is considering whether to make the jump to the NFL,” Schefter reported. “He intends to decide in the next week, before the NFL regular season is over, and teams expect to hear his decision in the coming days.”
Kyle Rowland of the Toledo Blade reported Sunday that Meyer “has had exploratory discussions with intermediaries about the Jacksonville Jaguars job.” Per Rowland, Meyer is “seriously considering Jacksonville” and “is expected to decide whether he wants to pursue the Jacksonville job before the end of the NFL season.”
Meyer is already familiar with the Jacksonville area, having coached at Florida from 2005-10, and he still owns a home in the state. Another appealing factor to the Jaguars job: They clinched the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft on Sunday, positioning them to draft a franchise quarterback, which most believe will be Clemson's Trevor Lawrence (though Meyer's Ohio State connections could certainly help Justin Fields make his case).
Of course, this isn't the first time there have been rumors about Meyer returning to the sidelines since he retired as Ohio State's coach in 2018. He turned down interest from Texas earlier this month, and was linked to USC in 2019. There were also rumors about him becoming an NFL coach last year when the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Football Team had openings, but that never came to fruition.
Per Schefter, “Sources who have spoken to Meyer believe he wants to make sure that, if he decides to make the jump to the NFL, he is prepared to fully immerse himself in a new world.”
Meyer currently works as an analyst for Fox Sports' Big Noon Kickoff and is an assistant athletic director of athletics initiatives and relations at Ohio State.
