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Mike Kafka

Lions To Add Mike Kafka, Retain Jim O’Neil

By | at January 26, 2026 3:06 pm

The Lions made their offensive coordinator choice recently, tabbing Drew Petzing to call plays in 2026. But they are adding another seasoned play-caller to their staff.

Mike Kafka is joining Dan Campbell‘s staff for an unspecified “high ranking” position, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The recent Giants interim HC called plays for most of his OC tenure in New York. Rather than hit the coordinator carousel, Kafka will step back and hold a key non-play-calling role in Detroit.

Campbell also reached an agreement to retain Jim O’Neil, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. A former NFL DC who interviewed for the Jets’ DC post, O’Neil has been in place as a defensive assistant in Detroit since 2024. The Lions also announced their Petzing hire Monday.

The Lions had interviewed Kafka for the job ultimately given to Petzing, and the former also met with the Eagles during their long-running OC search. Prior to that, the Buccaneers brought in Kafka about their OC vacancy. Other OC positions have opened and will open soon, as the HC carousel still spins, but Kafka will settle in Michigan for the 2026 season. This will be Kafka’s third NFL employer (as a coach), after stints with the Chiefs and Giants.

Taking what amounted to a courtesy Giants HC interview after being their interim leader to close the season, Kafka went 2-5 in that role. Though, the Giants’ two wins came over disinterested Raiders and Cowboys teams; the latter benched Dak Prescott midway through the Week 18 Giants matchup.

Kafka, 38, still received HC consideration during multiple previous cycles. He met with the Bears and interviewed twice with the Saints last year. He met with the Titans in 2024 and spoke twice with the Seahawks that year, later being blocked from interviewing for Seattle’s OC job. The Cardinals, Colts and Panthers met with Kafka in 2023, on the heels of the Giants’ surprising divisional-round trek.

The Giants have been unable to approach that level of success since, leading to their $20MM-per-year John Harbaugh contract. New York did show some promise with Jaxson Dart, even if it rarely translated to wins. The team ranked 17th in scoring offense and 13th in yardage, with Kafka taking back the play sheet in 2025 — after Brian Daboll called the shots in 2024. The team ranked 31st in scoring in 2024.

This will be an interesting dynamic for the Lions, who demoted one-and-done OC John Morton in Week 10. Campbell called plays the rest of the way, and the Lions finished fourth in scoring offense and fifth in yardage. Campbell now has two three-season play-callers on his staff, with Petzing having that responsibility from 2023-25 in Arizona.

Formerly the Browns and 49ers’ DC, O’Neil has been off that tier for 10 years now (though, he did serve as Northwestern’s DC from 2021-22). Settling in with the Lions over the past two seasons, O’Neil had worked with the Jets previously under Rex Ryan. Aaron Glenn has not made a decision on his next DC yet, but two of his candidates — O’Neil and Mathieu Araujo — have taken other jobs. The Jaguars hired the recent Dolphins CBs coach last week.

3 comments Detroit Lions

2026 NFL Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

By | at January 20, 2026 9:00 am

The 2026 head coaching carousel has now seen 10 jobs open since the start of the offseason, as the Bills have fired Sean McDermott. HC firings generally lead to coordinator changes, and several other teams have proceeded with OC or DC moves to start their offseasons. Here are the current OC and DC searches transpiring. As the remaining HC searches conclude, more coordinator searches will be added to this list.

Updated 1-31-26 (6:00pm CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Zac Robinson)

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Todd Monken)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Joe Brady)

  • Pete Carmichael Jr., senior offensive assistant (Broncos): Hire expected

Chicago Bears (Out: Declan Doyle)

Cleveland Browns (Out: Tommy Rees)

Denver Broncos (Out: Joe Lombardi)

Detroit Lions (Out: John Morton)

Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Matt Nagy)

  • Eric Bieniemy, running backs coach (Bears): Rehired

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Greg Roman)

Miami Dolphins (Out: Frank Smith)

New York Giants (Out: Mike Kafka)

New York Jets (Out: Tanner Engstrand)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Kevin Patullo)

Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Arthur Smith)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Josh Grizzard)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Nick Holz)

Washington Commanders (Out: Kliff Kingsbury)

Defensive Coordinators

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Zach Orr)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Bobby Babich)

  • Jim Leonhard, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Hired

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Matt Eberflus)

Green Bay Packers (Out: Jeff Hafley)

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Jesse Minter)

Miami Dolphins (Out: Anthony Weaver)

New York Giants (Out: Shane Bowen)

New York Jets (Out: Steve Wilks)

Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Teryl Austin)

San Francisco 49ers (Out: Robert Saleh)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Dennard Wilson)

Washington Commanders (Out: Joe Whitt)

2 comments Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Chicago Bears Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Dallas Cowboys Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Indianapolis Colts Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings New York Giants New York Jets PFR Originals Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers Seattle Seahawks Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans Washington Commanders

Eagles To Give Brian Daboll “Extended Look” For OC Job; Team To Interview Mike McDaniel

By | at January 18, 2026 11:00 am

11:00am: ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirms an Eagles-Daboll interview is expected.

08:34am: Brian Daboll lost his head coaching position with the Giants in the middle of the 2025 season, but as expected, he is still generating significant attention from clubs in need of an offensive coordinator (he also landed an HC interview with the Titans). The Eagles are one of the teams interested in Daboll’s services as an OC, and Philadelphia will give him an “extended look,” per Connor Hughes of SNY.tv.

Despite their bounty of talent on the offensive side of the ball, the recently-demoted Kevin Patullo was unable to guide the Eagles to the same success as his predecessor, Kellen Moore. After helping Philly to a Super Bowl title in 2024, Moore accepted the Saints’ head coaching job last year, and Patullo’s performance in his first and only season in the OC role was heavily criticized. Towards the end of the ‘25 slate, head coach Nick Sirianni felt compelled to become more involved in his team’s offense.

That did not bode well for Patullo, and after the Eagles were dispatched from the playoffs by a short-handed 49ers outfit in the wildcard round, the writing was on the wall. It is unclear if Patullo will remain with the organization, but if he does, it will not be as OC.

Daboll, 50, earned his shot at the Giants’ HC gig by virtue of his success as the Bills’ offensive coordinator, and his OC aptitude remains well-regarded in league circles. He also has familiarity with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receiver DeVonta Smith from their time together at Alabama – where Daboll worked as OC and QB coach in 2017 – and he coached running back Saquon Barkley for two seasons in New York.

As of the time of this writing, only the Chargers have secured a publicly-reported OC interview with Daboll. The Eagles’ vacancy appears to be a tempting one, though, and unless Los Angeles makes him a pitch he can’t refuse, it would be fair to expect Daboll to sit down with Philadelphia brass.

The club did land an interview with Mike Kafka, who worked under Daboll as the Giants’ offensive coordinator and then replaced his former boss as Big Blue’s interim head coach in 2025. Hughes suggests the Eagles are high on Kafka as well, and they are taking a few other big swings.

Former Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel, one of the most-coveted coaches on the market, is expected to interview with the Eagles for their OC post, as ESPN’s Jeff Darlington notes (previously, we knew only that Philadelphia was interested in talking with McDaniel). The club will have competition for his services, however.

McDaniel’s Miami tenure ended on a sour note, but the first half of his stint produced excellent results as he helped unlock quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s potential. That has buoyed his stock as a highly-respected offensive mind, and he has drawn head coaching interest from five teams (the Browns, Falcons, Raiders, Ravens, and Titans) and OC interest from four others (the Bucs, Chargers, Eagles, and Lions; Baltimore is also considering McDaniel for its OC position).

The Falcons have already hired Kevin Stefanski as their next head coach, and the Browns’, Titans’, and Raiders’ HC openings are generally not considered to be as enticing as the Atlanta or Baltimore jobs. On the other hand, the teams that are interested in McDaniel as an OC boast considerable offensive talent, and McDaniel acknowledges he is intrigued by those jobs (via Darlington).

Jim Bob Cooter, Zac Robinson, and Kliff Kingsbury are among the other names on the Eagles’ radar.

12 comments Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles Interview Mike Kafka For OC Job, Request Interview With Jim Bob Cooter

By | at January 17, 2026 2:23 pm

The Eagles have two more candidates to succeed Kevin Patullo as their offensive coordinator: Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka and Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter.

Kafka interviewed for the job on Saturday, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. He has also received OC interest from the Lions and the Buccaneer, in addition to an earlier interview for the permanent head coaching gig in New York that will go to John Harbaugh. Harbaugh is expected to bring in his own staff, so Kafka will not continue as the Giants’ OC, either.

Though Kafka is better known for his coaching stints with the Chiefs and the Giants, he began his NFL career as an Eagles fourth-round pick in 2010. He appeared in four games in 2011, his only regular-season action in his six years in the league. He retired from playing in 2015, spent a year as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Northwestern, before joining Andy Reid‘s staff in Kansas City. He played a crucial role in developing Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ passing game in general, which helped him secure the OC job under Brian Daboll in New York. The Eagles may be interested in that expertise to revitalize an air attack that sputtered out at the end of the seasons.

The Eagles also requested an interview with Cooter, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. He has a more recent connection to Philadelphia. He served as a consultant on Nick Sirianni‘s staff in 2021, when he first worked under then-Eagles OC and now-Colts head coach Shane Steichen. After a year as the Jaguars’ passing game coordinator under Doug Pederson, Cooter took his current job in Indianapolis. The Eagles’ OC job would appear to be a lateral move, but Cooter would have his first play-calling opportunity since his three-year stint as the Lions’ offensive coordinator from 2016 to 2018. Teams hiring head coaches are increasingly looking for proven play-callers, making it more difficult to vault from a non-play-calling OC position directly into a top job.

11 comments Indianapolis Colts New York Giants Philadelphia Eagles

Lions To Interview Mike Kafka For OC Job

By | at January 12, 2026 9:15 pm

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.

3 comments Detroit Lions New York Giants

Bucs To Interview Mike Kafka For OC Job

By | at January 12, 2026 7:47 pm

The Buccaneers are set to interview Mike Kafka for their offensive coordinator vacancy, per FOX Sports’ Greg Auman.

Kafka, 38, has been the Giants’ offensive coordinator for the last four years. He was also named interim head coach after Brian Daboll was fired in November. Under Kafka, New York’s offense has never ranked higher than 13th in points or 15th in yards with bottom-five finishes in both categories in 2022 and 2023. He was working with a weak offensive roster, especially at quarterback, but at the same time, part of his task was developing that roster.

Kafka previously spent five years in Kansas City, including four seasons as the quarterbacks coach. In 2020, he added pass game coordinator to his title. The Chiefs offense was consistently one of the best in the NFL during his tenure, which featured the ascent of Patrick Mahomes into one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the sport. While Mahomes’ pure talent and Andy Reid‘s influence are largely credited for the unit’s success, Kafka seems to have been a key factor, too. After his departure in 2022, the Chiefs had one more season as the best offense in the NFL before falling to the middle of the league in the last three years.

In Tampa Bay, Kafka would be working with a more talented offense with improvement over the Giants’ players at nearly every position. The Buccaneers clearly felt that Josh Grizzard did not get enough out of the unit this past season and may be seeking a more experienced option. Kafka also has a connection to the franchise: during his playing career, he served as Tampa Bay’s backup quarterback for the 2014 season.

The Buccaneers are also looking for a replacement for special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, who was fired along with Grizzard after the regular season. Lions assistant special teams coordinator Jett Modkins interviewed for the job on Monday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Tampa Bay’s 60.6 special teams grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) was the third-lowest in the NFL this season, though their average starting field position ranked 12th. In contrast, the Lions have consistently fielded one of the top-graded special teams units in the NFL. Their 90.5 grade was the league’s sixth-best in 2025, and their average starting field position ranked fifth.

The two interviews are part of the Buccaneers’ major offseason staff shake-up after another disappointing end to their season. Head coach Todd Bowles is clearly willing to make some changes after a 35-33 record and one playoff win in the last four years.

5 comments Detroit Lions New York Giants Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2026 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

By | at January 7, 2026 9:50 pm

The Browns, Cardinals, Falcons and Raiders followed the Giants and Titans in firing head coaches, making those calls between the Week 18 conclusion and Black Monday. The Ravens then moved on from John Harbaugh after 18 seasons; two days later, the Dolphins canned Mike McDaniel. Following a wild-card loss, the Steelers and Mike Tomlin are separating after 19 years. Now, after an overtime divisional-round loss in Denver, Sean McDermott is out in Buffalo.

The 10 HC openings are tied with 1978, 1997, 2006 and 2022 for the most in one year. Here are the candidates connected to all those searches, including the two remaining jobs. If more teams make changes, they will be added to the list.

Updated 1-29-26 (7:00pm CT)

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

12 comments Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New York Giants PFR Originals Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Tennessee Titans

Giants To Give Mike Kafka HC Interview

By | at January 5, 2026 12:40 pm

Interim head coaches have not enjoyed much success moving to full-time jobs. The only one to do so over the past nine offseasons — Antonio Pierce — was fired after his first full-time season. But teams regularly give their interims chances to interview.

That will be the case for the Giants, who are going to meet with Mike Kafka about their full-time HC post. Kakfa confirmed (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy) he will meet about the job. This had been expected, as Kafka was mentioned — along with Pierce — as being among Big Blue’s early candidates.

[RELATED: Giants To Retain GM Joe Schoen]

A collapse in Denver keyed a nine-game losing streak for New York. Brian Daboll received his walking papers midway through that skid, but Kafka lost his first five games as Giants interim HC. While he won the final two, both victories came over unmotivated teams. The Raiders deactivated Brock Bowers, Maxx Crosby and others, showing a clear interest in landing the No. 1 overall pick. The Giants snapped their skid in Las Vegas and then toppled the Cowboys, who benched Dak Prescott midway through the game.

This gave the Giants a 4-13 record, dropping them from the first pick to No. 5 overall over the past two weeks. Kafka yoyoed as the Giants’ play-caller during his four seasons as OC. Daboll gave Kafka the call sheet in 2022, allowing the former Chiefs assistant to call the signals in 2023 as well. After Daboll took the reins himself in 2024, Kafka was back at the controls to start this season. The Giants finished a respectable — all things considered — 17th in scoring offense and 13th in yardage despite starting three QBs (Russell Wilson, Jaxson Dart, Jameis Winston).

Kafka is no stranger to the HC interview process. He met with the Bears and Saints last year, taking two New Orleans meetings. He met with the Seahawks and Titans in 2024 and spoke with the Cardinals, Colts, Panthers and Texans in 2023.

It remains highly unlikely Kafka will receive the call to replace Daboll. The Giants went down this road before by appointing Ben McAdoo to succeed Tom Coughlin, and while Kafka staying would ensure Dart does not have to learn a second offense in two years, the Giants will probably follow the trend of passing over interim leaders to hire a more coveted candidate.

6 comments New York Giants

Coaching Notes: Chiefs, Lions, Udinski, Leonhard, Idzik, Brown, Bears, Pitcher, Scheelhaase, Godsey

By | at January 3, 2026 10:36 pm

Matt Nagy looms as one of the top head coaching candidates with an offensive background in this year’s hiring cycle. A departure for a second HC opportunity (or at least a play-calling offensive coordinator role) is something to watch for over the coming days.

In the event Nagy were to head elsewhere, the Chiefs would find themselves in need of an OC replacement. The team could look to familiar options in such a scenario. Kansas City would “welcome back” Mike Kafka or Eric Bieniemy, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report.

Bieniemy, 56, worked under Andy Reid from 2013-22. That span included five years in the offensive coordinator role. Bieniemy led Washington’s offense for one season before doing the same at UCLA. He is currently serving as the Bears‘ running backs coach. Kafka, meanwhile, was with the Chiefs for five years, operating as quarterbacks coach and pass-game coordinator along the way. As the interim head coach of the Giants, the 38-year-old’s future is currently unclear.

With Black Monday approaching, here are some other coaching notes from around the NFL:

  • Lions head coach Dan Campbell recently hinted at staffing changes. It would comes as little surprise if OC John Morton were to be among those let go, seeing as he was stripped of play-calling duties midway through the campaign. Morton said (via Rapoport and Pelissero) “I’d like to be here” when asked about the possibility of remaining in Detroit. Taking on a lesser role for next season could thus be something to watch for as Campbell looks into his coordinator options.
  • Overall, the pool of head coaching candidates for 2026 is not seen as being as strong as last year. A large number of firings over the next few days may not be forthcoming as a result. On the other hand, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini notes (subscription required) this winter could be busier than usual in terms of coordinator changes. Jaguars OC Grant Udinski, Broncos secondary coach Jim Leonhard, Panthers offensive coordinator Brad Idzik and Patriots pass-game coordinator Thomas Brown are among the staffers she identifies among those who have drawn strong reviews for their work this season.
  • Ben Johnson has impressed during his debut season in Chicago. He could be in line to lose a number of key assistants soon, however. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports names Bieniemy as a candidate to depart this winter with his stock having received a boost. In addition, offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, pass-game coordinator Press Taylor and quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett have each generated buzz regarding interest around the league. Johnson may have multiple vacancies to fill in the near future in the wake of Chicago’s successful campaign.
  • Dan Pitcher has been with the Bengals since 2016. Over that time, he has worked his way up to quarterbacks coach, a role he has had for six seasons and counting. The 38-year-old finds himself as an interview candidate for OC positions, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Losing Pitcher would deal another blow to the stability Zac Taylor enjoyed on his offensive staff until Brian Callahan‘s departure in 2025.
  • Fowler also points to Nate Scheelhaase as a “sleeper” with respect to offensive coordinator interviews. Scheelhaase, 35, served in many positions at the college level before joining the Rams in 2024; he currently serves as the team’s pass-game coordinator. Many Sean McVay assistants have gone on to land notable gigs elsewhere in the NFL, and along with D-coordinator Chris Shula Scheelhaase could soon become the latest to do so.
  • Since 2022, George Godsey has served as the Ravens’ tight ends coach. That tenure is nearing an end, however, Godsey is finalizing a deal to become the next offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports. By returning to his alma mater, Godsey will end a run of NFL coaching positions which dates back to 2011.
3 comments Baltimore Ravens Carolina Panthers Chicago Bears Cincinnati Bengals Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Los Angeles Rams New England Patriots

Mike McCarthy, Antonio Pierce Among Giants’ HC Candidates

By | at January 2, 2026 11:51 am

The Giants’ head-coaching search informally started immediately after firing Brian Daboll, but recent discussions have created an initial list of candidates to interview, per The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson.

Several coaches are already known to be on the Giants’ radar, including Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman, Packers DC Jeff Hafley, Colts DC Lou Anarumo, Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury, Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak, and Browns HC Kevin Stefanski. Giants interm HC Mike Kafka is also expected to interview with the team after auditioning for the full-time job since Daboll’s removal.

Interview requests will be much stronger indications of the Giants’ interest. Their lengthy list of candidates is primarily focused on former head coaches and current coordinator, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.

The formal interview process has technically already begun, as candidates not employed by an NFL team can interview right away. Former Packers and Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy and and former Raiders HC Antonio Pierce are on the Giants’ list. Pierce, a former Pro Bowl linebacker, played in New York for five seasons and earned a Pro Bowl nod and a Super Bowl ring in the process. That connection to the franchise – as with Jets HC Aaron Glenn – could give Pierce a leg up in the Giant’s hiring process, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano.

For coaches currently working for an NFL team, interview requests must wait until the regular season ends. The Giants’ interest seems to be focused on defensive coordinators, as Hafley (Packers), Vance Joseph (Broncos), Chris Shula (Rams), and Jesse Minter (Chargers) are all expected to receive interview requests. Hafley, a New Jersey native, in particular “seems to have some traction in New York,” according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Any coach for a non-playoff team can be interviewed as soon as Week 18 concludes. If the Broncos secure a first-round bye, Joseph (and any other coaches employed by a team with a bye) can only be virtually interviewed until the end of the wild card round. Coaches without a bye can be interviewed until the end of the divisional round. After the divisional round, teams can begin in-person interviews with coaches for teams eliminated by the playoffs.

Other coaches who have an “outside chance” to be interviewed by the Giants include Texans DC Matt Burke and Panthers DC Ejiro Evero, per Raanan. Current head coaches that are fired at the end of the season, especially Stefanski, could also be considered by the Giants. They could also seek to follow the wave of hiring young offensive coordinators from the Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay coaching tree such as Vikings quarterbacks coach Josh McCown or Jaguars OC Grant Udinski.

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