It's no secret that the New York Giants are looking everywhere to find their next head coach, but the only thing that's confirmed right now is that Mike Kafka won't be back in 2026. The 38-year-old did an admirable job as interim coach, but the Giants need to hire a fresh face with no ties to Brian Daboll.
Kafka did propel the Giants to back-to-back victories in his final two games at the helm, but those were also meaningless wins where all they accomplished was setting back their draft position. If they lost to the Cowboys, they'd have the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but instead they're picking fifth.
Despite the fact that Giants fans don't love him, he will be a popular candidate in coaching circles across the next few weeks. Earlier today, the Arizona Cardinals fired Jonathan Gannon, and Kafka was a finalist for that job back in 2023, which means the Cardinals can now give him a second look.
If the Cardinals still have interest, it may not take long for Mike Kafka to receive another shot as head coach
Gannon was fired after leading the Cardinals to a dismal 3-14 record this season, which has seen his coaching record drop to 15-36. The 43-year-old was a decent coordinator in Philadelphia, but given that Arizona tampered to hire him in the first place, hiring him was always bound to end in a disaster.
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Things ended so badly that even the loss of Kyler Murray due to injury couldn't save Gannon, as Cardinals lost nine straight games to end the season. For a roster that has talent (and finished 8-9 last year), 2025 was a massive step in the wrong direction that owner Michael Bidwill couldn't ignore.
Of all of the head coaching vacancies, the Cardinals are most likely to do something insane like hiring Kafka. Their front office isn't exactly the most competent in football, and the only saving grace of a job like this is the opportunity to draft a quarterback early in 2026, but the Giants' job is still far better.
With that said, the likelihood of the Giants and Cardinals overlapping on coaching candidates isn't super high, especially if Kafka is involved. The other finalist for Arizona's vacancy back in 2023 was Lou Anarumo, and the majority of Giants fans would be elated if he landed anywhere else.
If they turn back the clocks to hire either of these players, it would unknowingly be doing Joe Schoen and the G-Men a massive favor, but that doesn't mean they still won't find a way to mess this up.