Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan during Friday afternoon’s press conference at TIAA Bank Field. After his arrival in Jacksonville, Florida Friday morning, April 30, 2021, Jacksonville Jaguars first-round draft pick Trevor Lawrence along with team owner Shad Khan, head coach Urban Meyer and the Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke held a press conference in the afternoon inside TIAA Bank Field. They were also joined by the Jaguars 25th pick in the first round of the draft and former Clemson teammate of Lawrence, running back Travis Etienne. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union] Jki 043021 Trevorlawrencea
NFLBy Sean Keeley on

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan has mostly declined to speak publicly about why he lost faith in former head coach Urban Meyer and decided to fire him 13 games into his first season.

Presumably, the many reports, rumors, and controversies that took place during the head coach’s short stint with the franchise made the decision for him. However, Khan is just now providing an explanation for what made him change his mind after defending Meyer at earlier times.

“When you lose the respect, the trust, and an issue of truthfulness, how can you work with someone like that?” Jaguars owner Shad Khan told Jarrett Bell of USA Today. “It’s not possible.”

“It was not about wins and losses,” said Khan. “I think when you know someone is not truthful, how can you be around someone, OK? We had Doug Marrone here four years. We had Gus Bradley here four years. I have nothing but the utmost respect and friendship with them. That’s why they got the time, because it wasn’t a matter about respect or truth. It was a matter of wins and losses over four years. This is much bigger than that.”

Khan’s sharp rebuke of Meyer certainly caught the attention of many around the NFL world on Tuesday, with some noting that if Shad wants to blame anyone for the hire he can start with himself.

https://twitter.com/GFTribGHiggins/status/1521551185932472320

USA Today notes that the Jaguars and Meyer are currently locked in a disagreement over whether or not the coach deserves the remainder of his five-year contract, so Khan’s comments certainly are interesting knowing that a potential legal battle could be brewing.

[USA Today]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.

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