Could New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka have a new home next year?
The Tennessee Titans became the first team to hop on the coaching carousel this year, firing head coach Brian Callahan on Monday after a 1-5 start to the season. Callahan was hired just last year, replacing (now New England Patriots head coach) Mike Vrabel after he was surprisingly fired following the 2023 season.
It was really only a matter of time before the 2025-2026 coaching cycle got started, though we weren’t sure which team would kick things off. The Titans were certainly a contender, but so too were the Miami Dolphins with Mike McDaniel, the Cleveland Browns with Kevan Stefanski, and the Giants with Brian Daboll.
But after a three-week stretch in which the Giants beat the Los Angeles Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles, Daboll’s seat may have cooled.
If things keep trending positively, we’ll likely see offensive coordinator Mike Kafka once again interviewing for head coaching vacancies. And if so, Tennessee bears watching.
Kafka interviewed for the job that ultimately went to Callahan back in the winter of 2024. It was only a first-round interview, though Kafka did receive a second interview with the Seattle Seahawks that year. The Titans are obviously familiar with Kafka and there was at least some some level of interest previously.
The other factor is that the Titans have rookie quarterback Cam Ward, whom they selected with the first overall pick.
Assuming (and it’s an admittedly big assumption at this point) that things continue to trend in a positive direction for the Giants and Jaxson Dart, Kafka could be a very hot coaching prospect. Kafka has gotten head coaching interviews every offseason that he’s been the Giants’ offensive coordinator, but adding “developed a franchise quarterback” to his resume could put him over the top.
The similarities in skill set between Ward and Dart — as well as Patrick Mahomes, with whom Kafka worked in Kansas City — are notable. Kafka knows how to work with a quarterback who thrives as a creator behind the line of scrimmage, who has an elastic arm and eel-like escapability if not elite athleticism.
There will certainly be other good candidates for the job. Kliff Kingsbury stands out for his experience as a head coach with the Cardinals, as well as his work with Jayden Daniels. But a strong finish to the year for Dart would be a feather in Kafka’s cap as he tries to take the next step in his career.
Recent history suggests that Tennessee might not be an ideal landing spot for a rookie head coach. After all, they fired Mike Vrabel after just two losing seasons then didn’t even give his replacement two full seasons. However, there are only 32 head coaching jobs in the NFL and Kafka would likely jump at the opportunity to interview if asked.
Of course, the first step is for the Giants’ offense to continue to improve and for Dart to develop into the player the Giants think he can be.
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