What happened with Urban Meyer and Josh Lambo? Ex-Jaguars kicker returns to NFL with lawsuit in limbo

Josh Lambo is set to kick in the NFL for the first time since missing two extra points for the Jaguars in Week 3 of the 2021 NFL season.

And what better place to do it than at a stadium that shares his name?

Lambo will be getting a spot start for the Titans during their “Thursday Night Football” game against the Packers at Lambeau Field. While Lambo spells it differently, NFL fans are sure to be amused by the fact that a second “Lambo at Lambeau” game is happening.

That said, this will also be a big moment for Lambo. He is looking for redemption after an unceremonious end to his time with the Jaguars, during which he and Urban Meyer butted heads. The two have beef and Meyer’s antics actually led Lambo to sue the Jaguars for creating a hostile work environment.

So, what happened with Lambo and Meyer? Here’s everything to know about that incident as Lambo prepares for “Thursday Night Football” in Week 11.

MORE: How Josh Lambo played a part in Jacksonville’s decision to fire Urban Meyer

What happened with Urban Meyer and Josh Lambo?

Lambo filed a lawsuit against Meyer and the Jaguars seeking to obtain his $3.5 million salary for the 2021 NFL season and additional compensation for emotional distress.

Lambo’s civil claim accused the Jaguars of creating a “hostile work environment” and stemmed from allegations that Meyer had kicked him during a preseason practice, as Lambo described to the Tampa Bay Times.

“I’m in a lunge position. Left leg forward, right leg back,” he said. “Urban Meyer, while I’m in that stretch position, comes up to me and says, ‘Hey dips—, make your f—ing kicks!’ And kicks me in the leg.”

Lambo then explained that he had confronted Meyer about the incident, but the Jaguars coach brushed it off.

It certainly wasn’t as hard as he could’ve done it (kicked), but it certainly wasn’t a love tap. Truthfully, I’d register it as a five (out of 10). Which in the workplace, I don’t care if it’s football or not, the boss can’t strike an employee. And for a second, I couldn’t believe it actually happened. Pardon my vulgarity, I said, ‘Don’t you ever f—ing kick me again!’ And his response was, ‘I’m the head ball coach, I’ll kick you whenever the f— I want.’

Lambo was later cut from the team after missing all three of his field goals on three attempts in three games and brought forth the accusations on Dec. 15. A day later, the Jaguars fired Meyer less than a year into his tenure with the team.

Meyer denied the allegations against him prior to his firing.

“Josh’s characterization of me and this incident is completely inaccurate, and there are eyewitnesses to refute his account,” Meyer said. “[General manager] Trent [Baalke] and I met with him on multiple occasions to encourage his performance, and this was never brought up. I was fully supportive of Josh during his time with the team and wish him nothing but the best.”

Why is Josh Lambo suing the Jaguars?

Despite Meyer’s departure, Lambo had his civil lawsuit dismissed without prejudice by Judge Gilbert Feltel Jr., of the Florida 4th Circuit Court in Duval County, per the Associated Press. The reason? The Jaguars contended that Lambo wasn’t a whistleblower and thus wasn’t being retaliated against by the Florida Whistleblower Act. Instead, they said he was released due to “his unsatisfactory performance on the football field.”

The judge agreed that the Whistleblower Act did not apply to Lambo. As such, the kicker was given 21 days to refile a claim citing a new legal theory. Lambo’s attorney, Betsy Brown, intends to do that.

So, Lambo’s case against the Jaguars is not yet over.

MORE: Why Josh Lambo is suing the Jaguars for $3.5 million-plus, explained

Where is Josh Lambo now?

Lambo, 31, is set to fill in for the Titans on “Thursday Night Football” as their normal kicker, Randy Bullock, deals with a right calf injury.

Lambo got his NFL start in 2015 when the Chargers signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M. He got off to a hot start, making 26 of 32 kicks in each of his first two seasons with the Chargers, but landed in Jacksonville ahead of his third season.

For the next four years, Lambo was the Jaguars’ top kicker. His results were strong, and he led the NFL by making 97.1 percent of his field goals (33 of 34) in 2019, and was named a second-team All-Pro.

However, things fell apart for Lambo in 2021. He missed all three of his field goal attempts with the team and was cut by the Jaguars as a result.

It was only after his Jaguars release, however, that he made headlines with the accusations he levied at Meyer.

MORE: How Derrick Henry returned to form after foot injury in 2021

Josh Lambo stats at Lambeau Field

Lambo may be best known for that lawsuit, but he will also garner attention because he is kicking at Lambeau Field for just the second time in his career.

Lambo has had two chances to play at Lambeau before, but he was injured when the Jaguars played there in 2020. However, in 2015 he got to kick at the stadium with which he shares a name (albeit spelled differently) and made each of his kicks.

The Chargers lost 27-20 but Lambo was perfect on the day and accounted for eight points, making field goals of 36 and 32 yards to bolster a 500-yard passing day from Philip Rivers. Below are his full stats from the game:

MORE: Timeline of Urban Meyer’s dysfunction in Jacksonville, from Chris Doyle to Josh Lambo

Josh Lambo stats career

Lambo has been a strong kicker for the bulk of his career. He has made 90-plus percent of his field goals in four of his seven seasons and has only failed to eclipse a mark of 81.3 percent once during his career. That came with the Jaguars in a small sample size of just three kicks.

Lambo also has a strong leg. He has made 16 of 23 career kicks from beyond 50 yards, which is better than average from that distance.

Below is a look at his full stats from his seven-year NFL career:

Lambo’s field goal percentage ranks as the sixth-best in NFL history, so he should prove to be a good fill-in for the Titans, provided that he has maintained his form after a year-plus out of the league.