Just one season after becoming the offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Grant Udinski is drawing consideration for head-coaching openings. A few days after the loss to the Buffalo Bills, he interviewed for the Cleveland Browns' vacancy.
While Udinski doesn't appear to be the frontrunner for the job, nobody would bat an eye if the Browns end up hiring him. But even if they don't, there's still a chance he could leave the Jags in 2026.
Grant Udinksi could leave the Jaguars for jobs where he calls the offense
Not long after Udinski finished his meeting with Cleveland, Ryan O'Halloran of The Florida Times-Union posted on Twitter that he could still leave Jacksonville if another team offers him playcalling duty. Since Udinski would still be an offensive coordinator, though, the Jaguars could block the request. However, the optics of not letting an assistant look for other opportunities wouldn't be great.
With the Jags, Udinski oversees the offense and preparation. However, head coach Liam Coen calls the plays, so the prospect of dialing up his own shots could be enticing enough for him to join another team.
Before landing with the Jaguars, Udinski was the quarterbacks coach with the Minnesota Vikings. With him in the fold, Sam Darnold enjoyed a career revival. But since he left, the Vikings have lacked stability behind center. Granted, Kevin O'Connell is the head coach, but Udinki's departure most definitely lingers in Minnesota.
Meanwhile, Trevor Lawrence had a banner season, and the Jacksonville offense was among the most productive in the NFL last year, ranking sixth in points scored and 11th in total yards. Again, Coen is the architect behind the Jaguars' turnaround, but his right-hand man also played a role in the offensive surge.
For that reason, nobody would bat an eye if a new head coach or an offensive coordinator vacancy makes a push to land Udinski.
Related: 5 players who definitely won't return to Jacksonville in 2026
The Jaguars would love to keep Grant Udinski for at least another season
Like Grant Udinski, defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile is getting interest from teams with a head-coaching opening. However, his odds of getting a job decreased considerably when the Miami Dolphins reportedly considered Jeff Hafley for their vacancy.
Hafley, like Campanile, has ties to Phins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, so it's not shocking to know he's the frontrunner. And if he ends up getting the gig, Campanile will probably return to Jacksonville next season, as he hasn't interviewed for other openings. Udinski, on the other hand, could still leave the Jaguars if he gets playcalling responsibilities.
Having said that, the Jags' odds of retaining Udinski will increase if he doesn't join the Browns. That's probably the outcome they'd like. Sure, Liam Coen has made it clear that he wants to see his assistants get opportunities, but he'd surely want to have Udinski back.
With Grant Udinski back in the fold, the Jaguars could build off their success from last year and make a deep playoff run in 2026. And if that's the outcome, Udinski's stock will only go even higher.