The Buffalo Bills have cast a wide net in their search for a new head coach, and now appear to have one top candidate all to themselves.
The Bills have leaned toward offense in their bid to replace the fired Sean McDermott, who was a defensive coordinator before bringing his defensive philosophy to the Bills. One of the top potential candidates is Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, the 30-year-old who is seen as a hot head coaching candidate.
Udinski had also been in the running for another head coach opening, but an NFL insider reports that the Bills are now the last team left standing.
Grant Udinski Turns Down Other Offer
As ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported, Udinski had been in the running to take over as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, but decided to take himself out of the running. That leaves no more competition for the Bills if they choose him — and otherwise, Udinski will head back to the AFC South champions.
“Jaguars OC Grant Udinski has informed the Browns that he is removing himself from consideration for their HC position, per a source,” Schefter reported. “Udinski has a new deal in place with Jacksonville that will bump his pay for next season, but the Jaguars are allowing him to continue pursuing the Bills’ HC job. If Udinski doesn’t get the Buffalo job, he will be back as the Jaguars’ OC.”
While the Bills have not tipped their hand regarding candidates, some insiders see Udinski as the best option for the Bills. NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah suggested he would be a good fit to lead quarterback Josh Allen.
“I’ve never met Udinski but smart guys in the league absolutely love him,” Jeremiah wrote in a post on X. “He makes a lot of sense for the Bills. I’d love to see him paired with Josh Allen.”
ESPN’s Michael DiRocco noted that Udinski is credited with a sharp turnaround in Jacksonville, crafting one of the league’s most effective offenses and taking the team from the bottom of the division to the playoffs.
“Though he did not call plays in his first season with the Jaguars (head coach Liam Coen did), Udinski, 30, helped the offense finish sixth in scoring, 11th in total yards and 12th in passing yards,” DiRocco wrote. “He also worked closely with quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who set a career high with 29 touchdown passes and 38 total touchdowns, which was third in the NFL behind Matthew Stafford (46) and the Bills’ Josh Allen (39).”
Bills Get More Coaching Developments After Conference Championships
Because the Bills fired their head coach after reaching the playoffs, the NFL rules restricted who they could interview and they could only visit candidates after their teams had been eliminated. That allows the team to interview Denver Broncos passing game coordinator Davis Webb, a former backup quarterback in Buffalo who is considered a hot name in coaching circles.
But because the Seattle Seahawks advanced to the Super Bowl, the Bills will not be able to meet with another potential candidate, Seattle offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
Bills Get Good News on 30-Year-Old Head Coach Candidate