Jul 25, 2025; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski leads training camp at Miller Electric Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Why Daniel Jones' Ascent Doesn't Shock Jaguars' Udinski

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By John Shipley | Last updated Dec 4, 2025 4:00 PM ET

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski knows better than anyone else what Duval is up against this weekend when they face the Indianapolis Colts.

Watch Udinski Discuss the Colts Below

When the Jaguars kick off against the Colts' offense in Week 14, they will have to be prepared for ascending Colts quarterback Daniel Jones. And for Udinski, who spent time with Jones with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 as the Vikings' assistant quarterbacks coach and assistant offensive coordinator, Jones' rapid rise into a quality starter.

While Jones did not make a start for the Vikings, he spent an extended period of time with the team after he and the New York Giants parted ways. And while their time together was perhaps short, Udinski saw everything he needed to in Jones to not be surprised by his stellar season.

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“I think it was evident pretty immediately. You talk about a guy who's talented in pretty much all aspects of what you're looking for in a quarterback where it's mental processing, physical ability and then the ball coming out of his hands, can make every single throw all over the field," Udinski said on Wednesday.

"You add on top of that getting to be around him, what an unbelievable person he is. His work ethic, the guy he is in the locker room with the teammates, the camaraderie, the relationships that he builds with the guys. I don't have enough positive things to say about Daniel Jones, the way he works. So, it's easy for me to say now hindsight. I'm a little bit biased, but no surprise to me at all the type of success he's had.”

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Jones last played the Jaguars in 2022, defeating Jacksonville at EverBank Stadium in the first year of the Doug Pederson era. Now, he is set to be the player on the opposing sideline who will have the greatest impact on what is the Jaguars' biggest game of the season to date. While there are plenty of factors that will determine Sunday's result, the play of each quarterback is arguably the most important.

And while Udinski will be much more focused on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars' offense vs. the Colts and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo than he is on Jones and their time together. But Udinski can also help the Jaguars keenly understand the task on hand when it comes to stopping the Colts' much-improved quarterback.