HEADLINES

Mike Kafka

Momentum Building For Mike Kafka To Reclaim Giants’ Play-Calling Duties

January 30th, 2025 at 3:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Going 3-14, the Giants are attempting to get by while making only minor staff changes. In addition to retaining their GM and HC, the Giants are keeping OC Mike Kafka and DC Shane Bowen. Only DBs coach Jerome Henderson has become a notable scapegoat thus far.

This is a rather interesting setup, especially as Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen will enter the season on some of the NFL’s hottest seats, but the former may be eyeing a significant change. A year after taking over as the Giants’ primary play-caller, Daboll saw John Mara mention the prospect of him giving up that role again. Weeks later, the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz notes a “strong sentiment” exists in the building for Kafka to retake play-calling duties.

Despite Daboll coming over after being at the helm for Josh Allen‘s superstar ascent, he gave Kafka the play sheet to start his Giants tenure. The ex-Chiefs QBs coach impressed during his first season, which featured a surprisingly efficient Daniel Jones offering and produced a divisional-round appearance. The Giants were unable to sustain that form, as Jones regressed significantly — to the point the team cut bait before season’s end. Nevertheless, Kafka remains in the running for the Saints’ HC job. He has managed this after the Giants have gone 9-25 since their divisional-round game in Philadelphia.

New York ranked 30th in scoring in 2023 and 31st in ’24. The 2023 season featured what appeared to be a good excuse, with Jones missing much of it due to neck and knee injuries, but Daboll was unable to move the struggling QB back on track. Kafka has received at least one HC interview in each of the past three offseasons. He joins Anthony Weaver and rumored frontrunner Kellen Moore as coaches left in the Saints derby — after the exits of Joe Brady, Kliff Kingsbury and Mike McCarthy.

Daboll has far more experience calling plays, having done so at his four previous OC stops; Kafka would stand to benefit if he helps the Giants rebound while calling the shots. Daboll shifting to a CEO sideline role may be helpful, as he attempts to manage a third season. The Giants are also set to have a new starting quarterback — be it one of the top rookies, depending on the Titans and Browns’ decisions at Nos. 1 and 2 — or a veteran stopgap.

The Giants have been linked to having Cam Ward fans in the building, and they were doing plenty of homework on Shedeur Sanders during the 2024 season. At No. 3 overall, New York as a decent chance — as this draft’s top non-QB prospects are viewed as being much better than either of the two premier college arms coming out — of landing one of the two. It will be interesting to see if the Giants landing a rookie or a veteran as their preferred starter affects their play-calling plan. As of now, Kafka said he has not been told — should he not land the Saints’ HC job — who will hold this role in 2025.

NFC Coaching Rumors: Bucs, Bowles, Kafka, Martindale, Lions, Falcons, Cardinals

January 27th, 2025 at 9:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Liam Coen‘s Buccaneers divorce has become one of the most memorable staff separations in recent years. In addition to the Bucs’ OC search, multiple additional fallout items have emerged from Coen backtracking on an extension agreement to accept the Jaguars’ HC offer. Some around the league are now wondering how willing coordinator candidates will be to join up with Todd Bowles, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones writes. Bowles has evaded firing rumors for multiple seasons, though it was quieter on that front in 2024. While it is a bit odd that he continues to win division titles (3-for-3 in that regard), the rumors about the veteran HC’s murky status in Tampa persist.

On that note, Jones adds the Bucs should not be expected to let any coaches out of their contracts to follow Coen to Jacksonville. Bowles, Jason Licht and assistant GM Mike Greenberg attempted to reach Coen on Thursday, when he was supposed to sign his Bucs extension. Coen had already delayed the signing. The one-and-done Tampa Bay OC had even fibbed about a personal matter to continue his Jags negotiations, with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter indicated during a Pat McAfee Show appearance the Bucs were plenty irked about his exit process.

Here is the latest from the NFC side of the coaching carousel:

  • The Bucs have completed four interviews with outside candidates, but an internal Coen replacement option has surfaced as well. Pass-game coordinator Josh Grizzard is on the radar to be promoted, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo notes. Grizzard, 34, has been in the NFL since 2017 and joined Bowles’ staff to work under Coen. The Bucs thought they had avoided a scenario in which they use a fourth OC in four seasons, via the Coen agreement, and Mayfield will now have a sixth play-caller since the 2021 campaign. An internal promotion would help ensure some familiarity.
  • Mike Kafka is still in the running for the Saints‘ HC job, though Kellen Moore and Mike McCarthy may be more likely to land the job. If the Giants’ OC were to pull an upset and jump from a 3-14 team to another club’s top coaching job, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan notes he would be expected to bring Wink Martindale with him as DC. Kafka and Martindale worked together in New York for two seasons, before the latter’s explosive 2024 exit. Martindale, who spent the 2024 season as Michigan’s DC, interviewed for the Colts and Falcons’ DC jobs this month.
  • Acting swiftly to fill the void created when Kelvin Sheppard made the jump to replace Aaron Glenn, the Lions are elevating another recent NFL linebacker. Detroit will promote Shaun Dion Hamilton to its LBs coaching post, 247Sports.com’s Matt Zenitz tweets. Hamilton attempted to make the Lions’ active roster in 2022 but instead found a job on their coaching staff. Dan Campbell hired Hamilton, an ex-Washington defender, as an assistant. He moved up to assistant LBs coach in 2023, and at 29, is climbing the ladder again.
  • The Falcons are making two hires for Jeff Ulbrich‘s defensive staff. They added Mike Rutenberg as pass-game coordinator and Nate Ollie as D-line coach. Rutenberg will follow Ulbrich from the Jets, having coached their linebackers for four seasons. The Robert Saleh hire oversaw the development of Quincy Williams from waiver claim to All-Pro, while Ollie was also on Saleh’s first Jets staff. The Colts hired him as D-line coach in 2022, and he landed with the Texans as assistant D-line coach last year.
  • The Cardinals are losing their linebackers coach to a college coordinator role. Virginia Tech hired Sam Siefkes to be its next DC. Jonathan Gannon had hired Siefkes after two years as a Vikings assistant. Prior to that, he had served in the college ranks, heading up Wofford’s defense. Additionally in Arizona, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes the team is not bringing back D-line coach Derrick LeBlanc. On the Dolphins’ staff before heading to Arizona in 2023, LeBlanc had spent nearly two decades at the college level.

Saints Schedule Second HC Interviews With Mike Kafka, Anthony Weaver

January 20th, 2025 at 8:57am CST by Adam La Rose

Many coaches whose seasons are now over are free to interview for head coaching vacancies around the league. The Saints’ search is ongoing, but its second phase will include a pair of staffers who did not work for playoff teams in 2024.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka has a second interview scheduled with the Saints for Tuesday. Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver will speak with New Orleans for a second time on Wednesday, Pelissero adds. Neither staffer has been a head coach at the college or NFL levels before, but they are now both finalists for this position.

Kafka has been a regular name to watch for head coaching vacancies dating back to previous hiring cycles. The 37-year-old has spent his last three years with the Giants, but a January report noted he could be let go in the event head coach Brian Daboll were to be retained. The latter is indeed set to remain in place for 2025, but for now Kafka is still part of New York’s staff.

Weaver, 44, has spent time on six different NFL staffs since 2012. He has extensive experience as a defensive line coach, but during his final two seasons with the Ravens he also had the title of associate head coach. Weaver took over as Miami’s DC for 2024, and the team delivered a notable performance on that side of the ball. The Dolphins finished ninth in the NFL against the run and pass, ranking fourth in total defense and 10th in points allowed. Weaver, like Kafka, was among the first candidates to interview with the Saints in the team’s initial round of meetings.

New Orleans moved on from Dennis Allen after Week 9, leaving him with an overall record of 18-25 as Sean Payton‘s successor. Special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi handled interim HC duties the rest of the way, a span in which the Saints dealt with numerous major injuries and went 3-5. Several candidates (including Rizzi) have interviewed for the full-time position in recent days, and coaches on teams eliminated in the divisional round can meet in person starting today. In the case of Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn in particular, that could be especially noteworthy.

Via PFR’s search tracker, here is an updated look at the Saints’ situation:

2025 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

January 15th, 2025 at 11:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy splitting up, seven teams have made coaching changes so far during this year’s cycle. Here are the candidates connected to each of the HC-needy franchises. If more teams make changes, they will be added to the list.

Updated 2-11-25 (11:40am CT)

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Saints Request HC Interviews With Kellen Moore, Anthony Weaver, Mike Kafka

January 6th, 2025 at 5:33pm CST by Ben Levine

We’ve got three more names to add to the growing list of Saints head coach candidates. The Saints have requested interviews with Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore (via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport), Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver (via The Athletic’s Dianna Russini), and Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka (via Josina Anderson).

[RELATED: Saints Request HC Interviews With Joe Brady, Aaron Glenn]

This request represents Moore’s first of the current hiring cycle. The veteran coach just completed his first regular season as Philly’s offensive coordinator, with the Eagles failing to improve on their 2023 offensive rankings (seventh in points, eighth in yards). Still, he helped guide Saquon Barkley to a historic season, and he was previously lauded for his offensive approach in stops with the Chargers and Cowboys.

Moore isn’t a stranger to the head coaching interview circuit. He’s earned interviews in each of the past three offseasons, including meetings with the Chargers (2024), Panthers (2023), Broncos, Dolphins, Jaguars, and Vikings (2022).

Weaver was a popular name during last year’s hiring cycle, with the defensive-minded coach earning interviews with the Falcons and Commanders. He ultimately landed in Miami as the Dolphins’ new defensive coordinator. While the team’s defense struggled at times, Weaver still squeezed out a top-10 showing out of his unit, with the Dolphins ranking fourth in yards allowed and 10th in points allowed. The defensive coordinator also oversaw the development of some key defenders, including first-round edge rusher Chop Robinson.

A long-time defensive line coach, Weaver earned national attention following his three-year stint in Baltimore. He served as the Ravens defensive line coach/run game coordinator in 2021 before earning a promotion to assistant head coach in 2022. His current gig in Miami represented another promotion, so the next logical step of his coaching career would see him earning the head coach title. We learned earlier today that the Bears requested an interview with Weaver.

A former NFL journeyman, Kafka made a name for himself while coaching Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. He parlayed his performance as Chiefs QBs coach into an OC gig with the Giants, where he’s spent the past three years. Brian Daboll wrestled away play-calling responsibilities from his OC this past offseason, and there have been rumblings that Kafka could be ousted since the head coach will be sticking around.

Kafka’s potentially ugly ending in New York clearly hasn’t hurt his head coaching chances, as we learned earlier today that the Bears requested an interview with the coordinator. Kafka interviewed for both the Seahawks and Titans gigs last offseason, and he garnered interviews for all five head coaching vacancies in 2023.

This trio joins Joe Brady and Aaron Glenn, who the Saints requested interviews with earlier today. The team has also been connected to the likes of Mike Vrabel and Matt Nagy, while interim head coach Darren Rizzi is also expected to push for a promotion to the full-time gig.

Bears Request HC Interviews With Aaron Glenn, Mike Kafka, Drew Petzing, Anthony Weaver

January 6th, 2025 at 1:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

In addition to a much-anticipated Ben Johnson meeting, the Bears are using Black Monday to roll out other interview requests. Four more assistants received invites for meetings.

The Lions’ other top coordinator, Aaron Glenn, will be a popular name once again; he is part of the Bears’ initial batch of requests. Chicago also sent out interview slips to Giants OC Mike Kafka, Cardinals OC Drew Petzing and Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport report.

These meetings will take place along with a Thomas Brown interview. The interim Bears HC is expected to meet with the team, via ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin. Although the Bears have realized the difficult situation they put Brown in, it would be rather surprising if he drew serious consideration given the team’s freefall during the season’s second half. It would then stand to reason Brown — the team’s pass-game coordinator, interim OC and interim HC this season — will be relocating for a third straight offseason.

Glenn, 52, has been the Lions’ DC for four seasons. Detroit’s group took a leap to start this season, with Aidan Hutchinson surging to Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner status. Hutchinson’s broken leg gutted Detroit’s pass-rushing capabilities, and other injuries impacted the Lions on that side of the ball. The NFC’s No. 1 seed, however, still finished the season seventh in points allowed. Glenn’s unit also closed the regular season with a strong showing in the winner-take-all matchup with the Vikings, a game that turned into a blowout thanks largely to a bounce-back Lions defensive effort.

While this might be the year for Glenn to break through, this is new territory for Petzing and Weaver. The Cardinals’ OC came up as a name to watch on the HC circuit earlier this season, though Arizona struggled after moving into playoff contention around midseason. Kyler Murray has also not taken a noticeable step forward under Petzing, who came to the desert after residing as Browns QBs coach under Kevin Stefanski. The 37-year-old play-caller coached the Cards to a 12th-place finish in scoring offense, however; that brought a nice jump from 24th in Jonathan Gannon‘s debut.

Landing the Miami DC job last year, Weaver was among three 2023 Ravens assistants to move up last year. The 44-year-old DC’s Dolphins unit also made strides despite not having Bradley Chubb throughout and not having Jaelan Phillips for most of this season. The Dolphins ranked 10th in scoring defense and fourth in yardage, marking improvements from Vic Fangio‘s year in charge. These marks came despite an offense that took major steps back as Tua Tagovailoa battled injuries. Additionally, Russini notes Ryan Poles has done extensive homework on Weaver — in the event the Bears want to follow a defensive hire with another.

Kafka’s stock may have actually received a slight boost this season, as Brian Daboll taking over Giants play-calling duties brought a steep descent. Kafka was at the controls when the Giants made a surprising run to the divisional round in 2022, though his unit — largely without Daniel Jones at the helm — declined in 2023. Kafka may also be a candidate for other OC jobs, with rumors about a split with Daboll — as the Giants may not block him from a lateral move this year — surfaced over the weekend.

OC Mike Kafka Could Be Fired If Giants Retain HC Brian Daboll?

January 5th, 2025 at 2:38pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Giants are among the teams which could soon make moves on the sidelines and/or the front office. Head coach Brian Daboll could be retained for the 2025 campaign, however, something which could lead to a shake-up on the team’s offensive staff.

Provided Daboll does receive another opportunity – something which may well be the case for general manager Joe Schoen as well – offensive coordinator Mike Kafka could become the subject of scrutiny. “Buzz” has emerged pointing to Kafka being dismissed in the event Daboll remains in place, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer writes. Such a development would likely be centered on Daboll reclaiming full control of the Giants’ offense. Kafka is under contract for 2025, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, who adds a mutual desire is believed to exist for he and Daboll to continue working together.

Daboll’s head coaching stock was built in large part on his success working with Josh Allen as the Bills’ offensive coordinator before he was hired by the Giants. It thus came as a surprise when he initially handed play-calling duties over to Kafka in 2022, but those responsibilities have changed hands over time. Daboll turning his attention back to leading the offense would come as little surprise given how much New York has struggled on that side of the ball with and without Daniel Jones at quarterback.

The former No. 6 pick was benched and then waived earlier this season, paving the way for a new passer to be added (likely via the draft, although the Giants may not find themselves in range for top quarterbacks in the class). Starting over at the position is something often accompanied by a head coaching change, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes Daboll could indeed be given a fourth season at the helm (video link). The option remains that Daboll will be dismissed with Schoen being retained, although that would come as a surprise to many of PFR’s readers and would also mark a departure from the latest indications on the situation.

Kafka, 37, spent time on the Chiefs’ staff before taking the coordinator gig in New York. His success in that role from the 2022 season led to head coaching interviews, but he was blocked by the Giants when the opportunity to meet with the Seahawks for their OC position emerged. Kafka currently holds the title of assistant head coach under Daboll, though that could change once ownership decides on the organization’s direction.

Brian Daboll Likely To Serve As Giants’ Play-Caller During Regular Season

August 23rd, 2024 at 10:17pm CST by Adam La Rose

Mike Kafka is still in place as the Giants’ offensive coordinator, but his duties this offseason have not included play-calling responsibilities. That appears set to continue into the regular season.

Head coach Brian Daboll confirmed in the lead-up to New York’s preseason finale against the Jets he will call plays on Saturday. He added (via Dan Salomone of the team’s website) that things are “moving in that direction” with respect to maintaining those duties come Week 1. That update comes as little surprise given the way the spring and summer have trended for the Giants.

Kafka has generally served as play-caller during his two-year New York stint, but signs have been pointing to Daboll taking over in 2024. The latter’s head coaching candidacy was built in large part on his success as a play-calling offensive coordinator with the Bills, so it was a surprise when he deferred to Kafka in 2022. The Giants’ staff is one facing several questions related to job security, however, and Daboll called plays at OTAs and minicamp in addition to his training camp and preseason workload.

The 49-year-old – along with general manager Joe Schoen – has the backing of ownership with respect to relying on quarterback Daniel Jones for at least one more season. Daboll’s position (not to mention that of Schoen and Jones) will become tenuous in the event New York’s offense suffers a repeat of 2023. The Giants looked into trading up for a Day quarterback in this year’s draft, an indication of what is at stake for all parties involved over the coming months.

Kafka drew head coaching interest in the 2023 offseason after his success with Jones and Co. After the past campaign, the 37-year-old was on the radar of the Seahawks and Titans, taking interviews with both teams. The Giants were unable by rule to block him from taking part in that process, but they did prevent him from interviewing for Seattle’s offensive coordinator gig. The former Chiefs staffer enters 2024 with the title of assistant head coach.

In spite of that symbolic promotion, it is all-but assured Daboll will lead the way on offense this season. The Giants’ defense – which will be led by Shane Bowen after Daboll’s well-documented split with Don Martindale – will face high expectations in 2024, but their offensive output will be interesting to watch with the head coach at the helm.

Brian Daboll Expected To Take Over Giants’ Play-Calling Duties

June 27th, 2024 at 9:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two summers ago, rumors pointing to Brian Daboll — the Bills’ play-caller for four years — considering a CEO role in his first year as Giants HC. That came to fruition, and Daboll kept OC Mike Kafka holding the play sheet for most of the past two seasons.

Rumors of a change have persisted this offseason, however. As we move closer to training camp, it looks all but confirmed the Giants will feature a new play-caller this season. After calling plays at OTAs — for what that’s worth — Daboll continued to do so at minicamp. A Kafka shift to a non-play-calling OC is expected to continue into the regular season, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com notes.

Considering how last season went, Daboll preferring to have full control makes sense. It certainly would not be out of the question for the Giants to consider moving on; they have not employed a coach into a fourth season since Tom Coughlin. Daboll also came under fire for his temper last season, with a highly publicized feud with DC Don Martindale — one producing an explosive final act in the HC’s office — ending his New York stay after two seasons.

Daboll also has a proven track record calling plays, having been at the controls in Buffalo when Josh Allen morphed from raw prospect to superstar. That role landed him the Giants’ HC job in 2022. With last year’s 6-11 showing throwing the Giants off course after Daboll’s Coach of the Year campaign, the third-year leader mentioned he would consider making this change. Daboll also called plays for the Chiefs, Browns and Dolphins during three prior OC stints, though his Bills work stands out.

Daboll’s dustups with Martindale included rumors of the DC and assistant Drew Wilkins going rogue. Additionally, Raanan indicates Daboll confronted Martindale during the Giants’ Week 13 bye. Daboll allegedly yelled, “So, you think I’m a clown?” at Martindale from a doorway while the latter was running a defensive meeting. Daboll’s tirades grew tiresome for the staff, per Raanan, who notes some staffers viewed the fiery HC as having stopped listening to his assistants. Martindale did not contact Daboll or Schoen after cursing out Daboll in his office. Martindale is now the Michigan DC.

Kafka certainly deserved praise for coaxing a quality season from Daniel Jones in 2022, doing so when the Giants featured Saquon Barkley and little else in terms of weaponry. That season ending in the divisional round launched Kafka onto the HC radar. Kafka received more HC interest this year, interviewing with the Seahawks and Titans. After the Seahawks hired Mike Macdonald, the Giants blocked Kafka from interviewing for their OC position. Big Blue then gave Kafka a snazzier title, moving him to assistant head coach.

Daboll’s feud with Martindale aside, an early-offseason report noted most of the HC’s anger was directed at Kafka last season. That set the table for this change, and it is also safe to say Kafka is on shaky ground in New York. With Martindale gone, the Daboll-Kafka relationship will surely be monitored closely as the year progresses.

Giants Rumors: Banks, Daboll, Defensive Staff

June 8th, 2024 at 5:12pm CST by Ely Allen

Former first-round pick Adoree’ Jackson is currently a free agent after playing out his three-year, $39MM contract with the Giants, and at this point, it’s almost guaranteed that he won’t be returning to New York. According to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, the team’s decision to let Jackson walk without a new contract is a result of their trust in Deonte Banks to step up as a “true No. 1” cornerback.

Jackson had been an extremely successful signing over his first two seasons with the Giants but saw his quality of play decline drastically in 2023. After grading Jackson out as the 15th and 31st best cornerback in the NFL over first two years with the team, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Jackson at 117th out of 127 graded players last year.

Banks, a first-round rookie in 2023, didn’t grade out much better last season, with PFF marking him as the 110th best cornerback in the NFL. Still, Banks was productive as a rookie, nabbing two interceptions and leading the team with 11 passes defensed last year. He’s extremely physically gifted for the position, and many in the building believe he surpassed Jackson on the depth chart last year.

He’ll have his work cut out for him as the team’s top corner in 2024. The Giants open their season against Justin Jefferson and the Vikings. Other receivers he’ll be expected to shadow on the schedule are Terry McLaurin (twice), CeeDee Lamb (twice), A.J. Brown (twice), Amari Cooper, D.K. Metcalf, and Ja’Marr Chase. The Giants have faith that Banks will develop into the CB1 they’ll need in order to succeed in 2024.

Here are a few other rumors coming out of New York:

  • We’ve heard plenty of rumors already that Giants head coach Brian Daboll will take over play-calling duties for the offense in 2024 over offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. While it’s only organized team activities, Dan Duggan of The Athletic may have confirmed that notion, reporting that Daboll has been calling plays in OTAs. Daboll was spotted in the offensive huddle in between each play wile Kafka was lurking 10 to 15 yards back and to the left of the offense.
  • Giants defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson just missed out on getting promoted to replace Wink Martindale as the defensive coordinator in 2024, losing out to former Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen. Despite the exodus of defensive staff that would usually follow such a move, Daboll made it clear that he wanted almost all of the assistant coaches on the defensive side of the ball to stay, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. Bowen was given a chance to make desired changes, but following the lead of Daboll, who personally let go any defensive staffers he didn’t want to hold on to, Bowen opted to retain much of the same staff as the previous campaign.
Load More Posts