According to a report from ProFootballTalk on Monday, Urban Meyer wants $12 million annually to end his two-year retirement and coach the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Though NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport pushed back on that salary number and simply said Meyer would be “well compensated” if he takes the job in Jacksonville, PFT’s Mike Florio stood by his report about the $12 million figure on Tuesday.
“Owners don’t want entry-level coaches making a ton of money,” Florio wrote on Twitter. “So it’s not shocking that the league-owned media conglomerate would try to shoot down the notion that Urban Meyer wants an amount that is entirely fair and appropriate for him.”
While previously defending Meyer’s reported asking price by citing that first-time NFL coach Matt Rhule, who is not nearly as accomplished as Meyer, was able to command a contract worth $9 million per year to take over as coach of the Carolina Panthers last offseason, Florio also revealed some alleged details about the contract of New England Patriots head honcho Bill Belichick via PFT’s Twitter account.
After being asked some follow-up questions about Belichick’s salary and how it compares to what Pete Carroll of the Seahawks and John Harbaugh of the Ravens are paid to handle coaching duties for their respective teams, Florio offered some further insight about the situation.
“Carroll is believed to be north of $15M,” he wrote on Twitter. “Belichick is believed to be north of $20M. Payton is believed to be in Carroll territory. Teams funnel extra compensation to these guys through related companies.”
If Florio’s figures are accurate, Belichick’s salary is pretty hefty considering he is the architect of a Patriots program that often expects players to take less money to play in New England.
It is also substantially more than the $12 million annual salary, still the highest for a coach in North America, he made in 2019, according to Forbes.
But is it worth it? Even though the Patriots went 7-9 and failed to qualify for the postseason for the first time in more than a decade this season, it might be.
In Belichick’s 20 years in New England, the team has won six Super Bowls in nine trips to the big game and the franchise’s value has exploded.
“The franchise’s first Super Bowl title during the 2001 season came seven months ahead of the opening of what became Gillette Stadium, and helped grease the wheels on sales of season tickets, suites and sponsorships at sky-high prices,” according to Forbes. “The value of the franchise has soared from $460 million to $4.1 billion since Belichick’s hiring.”
Based on that last sentence, hiring Meyer for $12 million a year will be well worth it for the Jaguars if he can have even half the impact on Jacksonville’s bottom line that Belichick has seemingly had on New England’s. And, sure, a Super Bowl or two wouldn’t hurt.
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