Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski to call most plays in August preseason

Jacksonville’s offensive playcalling picture will shift in a familiar way during the August preseason, with head coach Liam Coen telling Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union that offensive coordinator Grant Udinski will call the majority of the Jaguars’ offensive plays in those games. The arrangement is part of Udinski’s ongoing development toward the next step in head-coaching interviews that have already come up this offseason.

The emphasis on preseason playcalling matters because it functions as a real-time test of how Jacksonville wants its offense to operate when the core group is mixed with starters and rotation players. In other words, it is not simply terminology or a title change. Coen’s decision indicates the staff wants Udinski’s decision-making, tempo, and in-game adjustments to be on display during exhibition work.

Udinski, who has been running the Jaguars’ offense as coordinator, previously called plays in Jacksonville’s preseason finale last year, according to O’Halloran. That continuity suggests the coaching staff views playcalling responsibilities as something Udinski can handle without changing the broader offensive identity, even if the man making the calls changes the weekly rhythm.

Coen’s comments also connect the preseason plan to the coaching career path that comes with head-coaching consideration. By letting Udinski call most of the offensive plays in August, the team is effectively giving him more opportunities to show he can process game situations, manage play-selection, and maintain a coherent structure across multiple drives. It is the type of credibility builders often seek when interviews are already underway or have been recent.

For Jacksonville fans and roster watchers, the practical takeaway is that Udinski’s approach will be visible in how the offense is installed and executed in preseason reps. That includes how the team handles early downs, manages personnel groupings, and responds when drives stall or when different quarterback and personnel combinations are on the field.

It is also worth noting what this does not guarantee. Preseason playcalling can be constrained by game plans designed for evaluation, and play scripts are often simplified compared to regular-season expectations. Still, the staff’s willingness to hand Udinski the bulk of the offensive calls suggests they consider his play-to-play process part of the team’s present offensive operation, not just a short-term experiment.