After four seasons with Kliff Kingsbury at the helm, the Arizona Cardinals are now searching for a new head coach. That search has led the Cards to several candidates, including a disciple of Andy Reid — New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.
As Reid’s Kansas City Chiefs prepare to play in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday, the coach has been making the media rounds, and he was asked about a former player and former member of his coaching staff, namely Kafka.
Kafka is a former NFL QB who spent his first two NFL seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2010-11 when coach Reid was still on the scene in Philly. Despite sticking around in the NFL in some form through 2015, Kafka’s only NFL action came in 2011 with the Eagles. After his retirement from playing football, Kafka quickly became a coach in 2016, joining Northwestern as a graduate assistant.
Reid had already hired Kafka by the 2017 season, putting him on as an offensive quality control coach with the Chiefs. By 2018, Kafka was tasked with coaching quarterbacks. In 2020, Kafka’s duties expanded to include the title of passing game coordinator. Then in 2022, Kafka joined Brian Daboll’s staff with the New York Giants.
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Andy Reid says Arizona Cardinals QBs will ‘love’ Mike Kafka
Now? Kafka’s become a serious candidate for the Cardinals’ head coaching vacancy, and coach Reid put in a good word for his former player/staff member when speaking with Arizona team owner Michael Bidwill, who nearly hired Reid back in 2013 before landing Bruce Arians instead.
“He’s a very intelligent, great human being. The quarterback will love him. He’ll challenge him to be better than he even is now. But he’ll do a great job.”
Chiefs coach Andy Reid showering praise on Mike Kafka, an Arizona Cardinals coaching finalist
Kafka is considered to be one of two finalists for the Cardinals’ position, with Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo considered to be the other.
It’s hard to argue against the success Daniel Jones had with the Giants in Kafka’s first year on the job. The fourth-year pro suddenly led the NFL in interception rate, while leading the G-Men to their first playoff win since 2011.
How much of the Giants’ success can be attributed to Kafka is unknown, but it doesn’t hurt to have one of the NFL’s greatest head coaches of all-time to be on your side when seeking a promotion.