JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Bradford from Orange Park, FL
Seeing Grant Udinski and Anthony Campanile getting interviews for head-coaching positions … this past season was special for the Jaguars. I've never rooted for an assistant coach that was here and left for elsewhere, but I will be rooting for whatever those two go to with a head-coaching opportunity. Being able to genuinely pull for a team outside our Jaguars … it takes something special for that to happen. Here's to hoping they stay. Should they not, though … if and when that happens, all the success in the world to them.
The Jaguars this week finalized their 2026 coaching staff, highlighted by offensive coordinator Grant Udinski and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile agreeing to terms to return in 2026. Campanile and Udinski were big parts of the Jaguars' 2025 AFC South Championship season. Players loved playing for Campanile, and their belief in him and his approach mattered a lot to the defense's success. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the offense had great trust in Udinski, and Lawrence late in the season publicly discussed Udinski's importance in his improvement. You will get your opportunity to wish them well and root for them elsewhere soon enough, though. I expect Udinski and/or Campanile to be head coaches by 2026. It's certainly trending that way.
Brad from The Avenues
YES!! First win of the offseason! Grant Udinski and Anthony Campanile are staying for at least one more season. This was my biggest concern at the end of the season, keeping these two high-end coordinators here where we need them, and where they fit so well with the players and staff. Who knows how losing either of them may have affected the next season? Even the slightest changes can have far-reaching effects, good or bad – usually bad. You know like, a butterfly flaps its wings in Japan and the Germans bomb Pearl Harbor.
Another fer Udinski. Another fer Campanile. And another fer something or other or not. Or whatever, I suppose.
Dinkus from Gainesville, FL
In as much as we already know the Pro Football Hall of Fame voting is an imperfect process performed by imperfect humans, I suppose there should be no surprise they decided to make Belichick wait a year for induction. According to reports, Bill Polian was a driving force in this. It's hard to see that as anything else but sour grapes – and petty vindictiveness. I know we appreciate that around these parts. Could the same sort of ridiculous thing be what kept Fred off the finalist list this year?
Former New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick indeed reportedly was not voted into the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class, an omission that understandably is drawing the ire of observers and media types. There are multiple issues here and I'll try to address them over multiple questions. I'm not a Hall voter, so I'm not privy to the discussions that took place before voting. I read the reports that Polian, with whom I worked for nearly a decade in Indianapolis, was "a driving force" against Belichick's induction. Reports seem to be mixed about the accuracy of this – and one Hall voter who I communicated with this week said this wasn't the case. That's the limited extent of my insight into that part of this issue. What I do know is Hall voters generally feel handcuffed with the new voting system implemented in advance of the 2025 process. The details are difficult to explain, but one of the brushstrokes is this: 50 voters can only vote for three candidates – and a candidate must get votes from 80 percent of voters. "Do the math," the voter told me. "It's hard to get three with 80 percent. Imperfect." Yes, Belichick should be in the Hall. But the overriding issue is that an inherently imperfect system has been made even more imperfect – and that's going to hurt former Jaguars running back Fred Taylor and a lot of deserving candidates.
Deborah from Naples, FL
Well, if Bill Belichick cannot get into the Hall of Fame, I guess Tom Coughlin never will.
I expect Belichick and former Jaguars Head Coach Tom Coughlin to someday be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This is an imperfect process, as is sometimes the case with processes invented and run by humans. But I expect this imperfect process eventually will correctly honor both coaches.
Armand from Jacksonville
I have three questions: 1) Hire the Culligan girl as your personal assistant; don't tell, Mrs. O; 2) Tell the GM and coach to sign every big-name free agent that's available; 3) the best one, let fans fan and let the Braintree do their job with no outside help.
Those aren't questions.
Gavin from Halifax, NS, Canada
Mr. KOAF, thank you for your keen insights! I understand how Shedeur Sanders makes the Pro Bowl, as it's a popularity contest and statistics mean nothing. The worst thing they did for the Pro Bowl was allow fan voting. Fans fan, but they don't deserve a say in who are the best players in the league. What I don't get is how Bill Belichik isn't a first ballot HOFer, and I'm not a fan, but do you have any insight into this?
This is a "voting" issue which makes it a "human" issue," which means analyzing it often becomes as much about speculating as facts. One reason is the one given above – that the new Hall of Fame voting system has made the process more cumbersome. Remember, too: When people don't make the Hall of Fame, it's usually not a matter of voters voting against a person as much as voters voting for other people. Belichick, for example, was up in the "contributors/coaches/senior" category – which is separate from modern-era category. There were five nominees: Quarterback Ken Anderson, defensive end L.C. Greenwood, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, running back Roger Craig and Belichick. Voters could vote for three. A lot of voters tend to vote for senior players over coaches/owners because senior players don't often get considered in multiple years whereas owners/coaches do. This may or may not be right, but it happens. It's not vindictiveness. It's actually people wanting to do the right thing. As I have pointed out and will continue to point out, it's not a great system. It needs to be reworked. I don't have a solution. No one will ask me a solution. But my instinct is that the people who see this is a snub or "revenge" against Belichick are probably overreacting and it's more likely just more about a flawed process.
Shawn from Moore County, NC
Belichick not first ballot? Wow. This is just wrong. Can the president of the HOF override this and put him in?
It is wrong. Belichick should be in the Hall. No, the Hall of Fame president can't override the vote.
Woody from Dunlap
KOAF: Am excited about next season! In addition to studying the upcoming draft candidates and free agents, I am looking more closely at the practice team members of different teams. In anticipation of going deep into the playoffs next season, what are the rules for the use of practice squad players in postseason games? I know that there is a limit to the number of games a given player may be called up for during the regular season, but does this limit carry into the postseason, or is the slate wiped clean and that player can be called up multiple times again? Have searched multiple web sites but have not found an answer.
There is no limit to how often a practice-squad player can be elevated via "standard elevation" during the postseason.
Daniel from St Johns, FL
30 plus 9 = 38? No wonder the analytics suck!
We were told there would be no math.
Bill from Orange Park, FL
Good Day, Mighty "O." I've been a fan of the Teal since announcement day. This past season was the most exciting to watch and follow. The ending of this past season was a heartbreaker, because I honestly thought the Jags were in a great position to make that run to Levi's Stadium. It was just something about that team that never gave up or believed in themselves. Question: With the Jags possibly losing a running back and a bad-a$$ lot linebacker, can the team trade the players instead of letting them sit on free agency and lose them? I noticed on ESPN, Mel Kilper first draft order this year draft seems to be more draft heavy for defensive players, do you see or believe the same?
Teams cannot trade players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents in March. This is because the team no longer has any real contractual rights to the player following the end of the season. And I don't know who the hell Mel Kliper is – and I'm guessing Bill Tboin doesn't, either.
Tom from Charlottesville
One good thing about not having a first-round pick, I can ignore all these mock drafts!!!
Yep.
