Jaguars Grounded: Team Stuck on Tarmac for 7 Hours During Stormy Weather

The Jacksonville Jaguars returned home early Monday after spending seven hours waiting through a winter storm on the tarmac at Indianapolis International Airport.

The National Weather Service reported heavy snow – between 2 and 5 inches – freezing drizzle, and wind gusts of up to 40 mph in central Indiana.

The Jaguars (4-13) had hoped to get out of Indy before the worst of it, but their game against the Colts went to overtime and caused enough of a delay that players, coaches, and staff got stuck. The Jaguars lost 26-23.

“We were hoping to get out of there earlier, but you know how these things go sometimes,” said a team representative. “It was one of those situations where it was better to wait it out than try to make it through the storm.”

Their charter flight finally was cleared to leave at 1 a.m. EST and landed in Jacksonville two hours later.

The delay also pushed back owner Shad Khan's scheduled meeting with coach Doug Pederson to decide their path moving forward.

In comparison, the Kansas City Chiefs avoided traveling in the storm by remaining overnight in Denver following their game against the Broncos.