It seems that former Kansas City Chiefs QB coach Mike Kafka could become a hot name in this year’s head-coaching carousel.
Kafka took the job as offensive coordinator with the New York Giants in 2022 under Brian Daboll. A former quarterback under Andy Reid in Philadelphia, Kafka spent five seasons as a member of the Chiefs’ coaching staff, beginning as an offensive quality control coach in 2017. He worked his way up to quarterback coach in Kansas City before leaving to join the Giants in 2022.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, both the Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers have submitted interview requests for Kafka to fill their head coach vacancies.
The #Texans have joined the #Panthers in requesting to interview #Giants OC Mike Kafka, source said. He’s picking up steam in his first time in the cycle.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 10, 2023
The biggest appeal in Kafka is probably his success with quarterbacks. In his first season as quarterbacks coach in Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes won his first MVP. His success with Daniel Jones and the Giants’ offense this season — turning what was thought to be one of the worst offenses in the NFL into a playoff-caliber team — that’s also a big selling point. They’re set to take on the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC’s wild-card round this Sunday, which will be another chance for his offense to exceed expectations.
For more information on the Panthers’ and Texans’ head-coaching searches, head over to Panthers Wire and Texans Wire.