A vital, yet under-the-radar aspect of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 2026 offseason wasn’t an outside addition or big move that was made to reshape or bolster a position of need. Rather, it was retaining a very important member of the coaching staff — offensive coordinator Grant Udinski.
Udinski was drawing head coaching interest early in the offseason, but ended up returning to Jacksonville. While head coach Liam Coen calls the plays, Udinski plays a key role in game-planning, running practices, and working with quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
“Me and Grant have a great relationship,” Lawrence said on Monday. “I’ve talked a lot in here with you guys about just what he means to our offense and our team and the way he operates and I love that guy. I got so much faith and belief in him and how he works and just how smart he is. I know he’s made me a better player. So, I’m really excited he’s back and he brings a lot of value to our team.”
During the second half of last season, the Jaguars’ offense was rolling, averaging nearly 33 points per game in the midst of their eight-game winning streak. Lawrence’s second-half surge also put him in MVP conversations.
The continuity of being in the same scheme and working with the same coaching staff for a second season can be a catalyst behind a Year 2 leap for the players and offense as a whole.
“We just started today,” Lawrence said of offseason programs, “kind of did some intro stuff, so we haven’t got into the weeds of the installs yet, but you know, just excited to get into that. I know he’s worked. He talked about today, they work all offseason, the coaches, to kind of get ready for all of us to come back because that’s what they love doing is coaching. So, I’m excited to see all the things that we’re going to talk about this offseason, all the wrinkles and adjustments that we can make.”
Lawrence and the Jaguars’ team as a whole are lightyears ahead of where they were at this time a year ago. Instead of implementing and learning new systems, they are now building upon the strong foundation that has been established.
For Lawrence, footwork and his movement within the pocket continue to be areas of emphasis for him in his game.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars’ under-the-radar offseason move wasn’t an outside addition
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
