The Jacksonville Jaguars endured a grueling post-game ordeal on Monday, spending seven hours stranded on the tarmac at Indianapolis International Airport due to a severe winter storm. Central Indiana experienced heavy snowfall (two to five inches), freezing drizzle, and wind gusts reaching 40 mph, according to the National Weather Service. The team’s hopes of departing Indianapolis before the storm’s peak were dashed by their overtime loss to the Colts (26-23), delaying their departure significantly. Players, coaches, and staff were forced to wait out the inclement weather.
Their charter flight finally received clearance for takeoff at 1:00 AM EST, arriving back in Jacksonville two hours later. This unexpected delay unfortunately postponed a crucial meeting between Jaguars owner Shad Khan and head coach Doug Pederson, scheduled to discuss the team’s future direction following a 4-13 season.
In contrast, the Kansas City Chiefs cleverly avoided the travel disruptions by choosing to remain overnight in Denver after their game against the Broncos.