The market for Mike Kafka is heating up. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Giants interim head coach will interview for the Lions offensive coordinator job on Wednesday.
We heard earlier tonight that Kafka was set to meet with the Buccaneers for the same role. The 38-year-old met with the Giants last week about a promotion to full-time head coach. As the NFL’s coaching carousel continues to spin, he could receive more interest. Teams that were eliminated from the playoffs may make staff changes this week, and others that lose offensive coordinators to head coaching jobs could call Kafka, too.
His results with the Giants are not encouraging, but those struggles were mitigating by a lack of talent on the roster. His past success as the Chiefs’ passing game coordinator could be a better indicator of his abilities with a stronger set of playmakers and a more reliable quarterback.
The Lions have both of those in Detroit already. Jared Goff may not be at the same level as Patrick Mahomes, but he flourished under the team’s last offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson. His successor, John Morton, was not able to capture the same magic, leading head coach Dan Campbell to take on play-calling duties midway through the season. That was a sign that Morton was unlikely to remain in his job for 2026, and Campbell indeed relieved him of his duties after the regular season.
Kafka would not be asked to focus on developing a young quarterback as he was in New York. Instead, his job will be to take the talented pieces already populating the Lions offense and reform the unit into one of the league’s best.
Nikhil Mehta contributed to this article.
Kafka will quickly learn the Black and Blue Division is rougher than the NFC East.