The Jacksonville Jaguars have added several coaches to their staff but are still missing an offensive coordinator. Los Angeles Rams passing game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase appeared to be their top target for the position. However, the Jags will have to look somewhere else, as he's staying put. The silver lining is that they still have a couple of intriguing options left.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported that Scheelhaase will remain in Los Angeles, noting that there's plenty to like in Jacksonville but he's staying with Sean McVay.
The #Rams are retaining pass game specialist Nate Scheelhaase, source says, despite interest from the #Jaguars in him being their new OC.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 6, 2025
Just one year in LA, Scheelhaase has impressed all across the league. And while there is a lot to like in Jax, he sticks with Sean McVay. pic.twitter.com/78jh4rLXYU
Scheelhaase is seen as an ascending star in NFL cycles, having joined the Rams in 2024 after spending several seasons at Iowa holding different roles. Once he became the offensive coordinator, the Cyclones improved their red zone efficiency and the number of points they scored each game.
It's possible that Scheelhaase chose the devil he knew rather than entering an uncertain situation with the Jaguars. But with him withdrawing his name for consideration, Jacksonville will need to turn its attention to somebody else to fill their offensive coordinator opening.
Aside from Scheelhaase, the Jaguars had interviewed Washington Commanders quarterback Tavita Pritchard and Minnesota Vikings assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski. Rumors surfaced that they were also considering former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly but he became the offensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders. In fact, they made him the highest-paid assistant in the league.
Circling back to Pritchard and Udinski, they both have their own set of pros and cons. The former worked with Kliff Kingsbury in Washington and helped quarterback Jayden Daniels have a historic rookie season. On the other hand, the latter watched and learned from Kevin O'Connell and Wes Phillips as a part of the staff for the Minnesota Vikings.
All things considered, you can make the case that Pritchard's and Udinksi's biggest weakness is their lack of experience, so unless the Jaguars add another candidate to their wish list, it will come down to who made a strong impression on the team's brass.
The Jaguars must operate with a sense of urgency after missing out on Nate Scheelhaase
It's not time to press the panic button just yet, but the Jacksonville Jaguars need to move quickly to find an offensive coordinator after losing out on Nate Scheelhaase. Sure, they can put in another round of interview requests, but free agency is inching close, and the sooner the Jags fill the opening, the faster Liam Coen and his coaching staff will be able to operate at full steam.
Granted, Coen has already gotten to work, but he needs to start delegating work, and planning for the offseason. That's why the Jags need to find an offensive coordinator. On the bright side, they already hired Spencer Whipple as the quarterbacks coach and managed to keep tight ends coach Richard Angulo. Similarly, most of the positions on defense and the special teams are already filled. That will help the new head coach with preparations.
Now, the Jags don't have to hire an offensive coordinator today or tomorrow. However, the sooner they check off that box, the faster they can fully turn their attention to preparing for the regular season.
The bottom line is that it would've been great to have Nate Schelhaase around, the Jaguars must turn their attention to someone who wants to go Jacksonville and help them turn things around.