Mike

Kafka

The Giants rolled out a disastrous offense with Daboll calling the plays in 2024 and finished 31st in the league in points per game. They were far better off with Kafka calling plays in 2023, when they finished... 30th in points per game. Kafka called plays for the G-Men during the preseason this year, foreshadowing his return to the role. Quarterback talent has ultimately been the issue on offense, regardless of who has been calling the shots over the past couple of seasons. The Giants are hoping to solve that issue with Russell Wilson under center. If Wilson stumbles, the turn to rookie Jaxson Dart could be quicker than expected.

“There is a feeling that by handing that responsibility back to Mike Kafka, the offensive coordinator, Daboll would be in a better position to manage the entire team, sitting in on defensive meetings and expanding his focus to make sure small details do not fall through the cracks,” Schwartz writes. Of course, Kafka is up for the Saints head coaching vacancy still, so that may be a road block for this plan. The journey of “Who is calling plays for the Giants?” is a long one under Daboll, much too long to go over in a blurb. But it’s pretty clear that the Giants were a better offense when Kafka called plays in 2022 than they were in 2024 when Daboll did. Perhaps this is something to look out for if the Saints hand their job to Kellen Moore or Mike McCarthy.

Kafka has served as the offensive coordinator for the Giants for each of the previous three seasons and appears to be close to securing his first head coaching job. He previously made the final round of interviews for the Seahawks and Cardinals in 2023 before staying with the Giants. Kafka is yet another young head coaching candidate in a recent wave of youth.

This isn’t the first time Kafka has made it to the final round of team interviews. The third-year offensive coordinator was also a finalist for the Seahawks’ head coaching job last offseason and the Cardinals’ head coaching job in 2023. He’s close to securing a job, and at just 37 years old, Kafka feels like a lock to get his chance at a head coaching gig eventually. It wouldn’t be surprising if we learn his fate for the Saints job in the coming days.

This is a great opportunity for one of the NFL’s up-and-coming offensive minds. Kafka is currently a candidate for both the Bears’ and Saints’ vacant head coach roles and the Senior Bowl gig gives him an in-depth opportunity to work with myriad players from the incoming rookie class. Any insight Kafka gleans from the experience could prove to be valuable for whichever NFL team he coaches for in 2025. Browns special teams coordinator and fellow assistant head coach Raymond “Bubba” Ventrone will serve as Kafka’s Senior Bowl counterpart.

The Saints become the first team to interview Kafka during this coaching cycle. A third-year offensive coordinator for the Giants, Kafka’s underwhelming quarterback situation doesn’t appear to have cost him this coaching cycle, as the Bears also hope to speak with the former backup quarterback. Kafka met twice with the Seahawks last offseason before they decided to hire Mike Macdonald. Whether it’s with the Saints or another team, Kafka appears to be on the verge of landing a head coaching gig sooner or later.

It is Kafka’s second interview request cycle as the Bears have also requested his time. The Giants finished as one of 2024’s worst offenses, but have you seen Drew Lock, Tommy DeVito, Daniel Jones, and Tim Boyle throw? Kafka has been New York’s offensive coordinator since 2022 and likely still retains some shine from Jones’ excellent season that year. The Saints would like to sit down with him and see what his plans are for fixing what ails Derek Carr and Alvin Kamara.

Also New York’s associate head coach, Kafka is getting this interview in spite of the Giants struggles on offense in 2024. Last year Kafka got a second interview with the Seahawks for the team’s head coaching vacancy and also interviewed with the Titans and Cardinals. This suggests the Bears will cast a fairly wide net for their coaching search, though they at least need to reach out to Dick Jauron before we can say they’re on par with what the Jets are up to.

Kafka will be the Giants’ associate head coach in 2024, in addition to being the offensive coordinator. He was most recently interviewed by the Seahawks for their head coaching vacancy, though that job went to Mike Macdonald. The Seahawks were also interested in him for their offensive coordinator vacancy, though the Giants blocked that interview request. Kafka now stays with the Giants and takes on the associate head coach title, setting himself up to be a head coaching candidate again next offseason.

Kafka is firmly in the mix to replace Pete Carroll as Seattle’s head coach, though the team is also talking with Rams DC Raheem Morris, Cowboys DC Dan Quinn, and Raiders DC Patrick Graham. In New York, Kafka pieces together reasonable offensive production after Daniel Jones’ season-ending injury and coaxed the Giants offense to some late-season success. He is the only offensive-minded coaching candidate the Seahawks are considering right now.