NEW YORK — The Giants’ offense is about to undergo a metamorphosis.
New head coach Brian Daboll will tab former Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Mike Kafka as his offensive coordinator, according to multiple reports.
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport reported that the deal isn’t done but is expected it to be completed soon.
Kafka, who has been a member of Andy Reid’s staff in Kansas City since 2017, came into the NFL as a fourth-rounder out of Northwestern, joining Reid’s Eagles in 2010 to back up Michael Vick and Kevin Kolb.
Despite only appearing in four games as a player, Kafka, 34, has risen quickly through the ranks as an assistant.
After spending a season as an assistant back at Northwestern, Kafka became the Chiefs’ offensive quality control coach in 2017 and then the quarterbacks coach the next season. In 2020, he added the title of passing game coordinator.
With Patrick Mahomes at the helm, the Chiefs finished fourth in the league in passing in 2021 and advanced to the AFC championship game for the fourth season in a row — they eventually lost to the Cincinnati Bengals, in part because the passing game faltered in the second half.
After working with Mahomes and Josh Allen, Kafka and Daboll will be tasked with trying to extract similar production out of Daniel Jones before the team has to decide whether or not to extend the former Duke Blue Devil’s contract. Jones threw 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 11 games before he was ruled out for the season with a neck injury.
Co-owner John Mara threw his support behind Jones earlier this offseason when he said new GM Joe Schoen wouldn’t be trading for Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson, primarily because of the star’s spate of civil and criminal investigations.
According to ESPN, Kakfa won a three-man competition to be Daboll’s top lieutenant on offense.
Texans quarterbacks coach/pass game coordinator Pep Hamilton and Cleveland Browns wide receivers coach/pass game coordinator Chad O’Shea also interviewed with Daboll this week in East Rutherford.
Daboll hired former Buffalo Bills assistant Shea Tierney as QB coach earlier this week.
Defensive coordinator Pat Graham and special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey are expected to return to the roles they held last season under Joe Judge, who was fired last month after just two seasons.
Graham was considered a contender for the Minnesota Vikings’ head coach opening but it is expected to go to Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell after the team publicly flirted with poaching Jim Harbaugh from the University of Michigan.
McGaughey turned down an offer from the Carolina Panthers and also interviewed with the Los Angeles Chargers and Chicago Bears.
During his introductory press conference, Daboll said he would decide after making his OC hire if he would call plays on offense.
“We’ll see how it goes,” Daboll said on Monday. “This hire will be important, all the hires are gonna be important. We’ll find the right guy and we’ll work together, if he can call the plays and if we feel comfortable with that I’m fine with that.”
