The One Coach Jacksonville Cannot Afford to Lose: Inside the Jaguars High-Stakes Offseason
As the offseason begins, there is a lot on the plate for the Jacksonville Jaguars' front office. On one side, the team has a few crucial players hitting free agency, including star linebacker Devin Lloyd and veteran running back Travis Etienne Jr. On the other side, the Jaguars' coaching staff is getting looked at by many teams around the NFL for their job openings. One name is offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, who has just recently been interviewed by the Cleveland Browns for their head coach position. If Jacksonville wants to see similar success on the field as they did this past season, then it should be a priority to keep their core staff in the facility.
The Jaguars' offense took a drastic step in the right direction in 2025. Yes, fans and critics can attribute that jump to the addition of head coach Liam Coen, who turned Baker Mayfield into a reliable quarterback in Tampa Bay. However, it’s hard to say Udinski didn’t have an impact on the turnaround that Trevor Lawrence had. In Minnesota, Udinski helped revive the career of veteran Sam Darnold, who was once considered a first-round draft bust on the New York Jets, to a star quarterback with the Seattle Seahawks. If Udinski were to leave for the Browns, he would be the youngest head coach in NFL history at just 30 years old. After being part of both Darnold and Lawrence’s best seasons of their careers, it makes sense that he would be a hot name to help another young quarterback elsewhere reach their potential.
However, the Jaguars need to keep Udinski for the betterment of their offense. Without his input on the offensive scheme, it is very likely that Lawrence could regress to his prior performances, those before Coen’s staff entered Jacksonville. Many times, this past season, Lawrence praised Udinski and his mindset to the QB room. Udinski’s attention to detail and the effort in preparation for the team cannot be easily replaced or replicated by another person. If anything, he has become a crucial piece to this Jaguars' offensive mindset. If they lose him, it could be detrimental to the future of the Jaguars, who are on an upward trajectory after a 13-win season and division title.
