About a month ago, was there any chance you'd think NY Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka would leave East Rutherford for a major promotion? People thought that maybe he wouldn't be back, but mostly because the Giants offense looked rough throughout 2023.
However, Kafka has had two interviews this offseason with the Seattle Seahawks, with the NFC West side looking for a new head coach to replace team legend Pete Carroll. According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, Kafka is a serious contender. His chances only went up with Ben Johnson deciding to stay with the Lions for at least one more campaign too.
Here was Graziano's full quote on this: "One name to watch in Seattle who I'm told is a person of interest there is Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka as a name to watch as a potential candidate for the Seattle job if it’s not Mike Macdonald.''
— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) January 30, 2024
Could Mike Kafka end up landing the Seahawks HC job?
Kafka is currently at the Shrine Bowl, but there's plenty of speculation that he indeed could be presented with an offer from Seattle. This truly feels like a bit of a shock since the Giants are coming off a 6-11 season and the O indeed looked vanilla.
Per Pat Leonard, head man Brian Daboll was so frustrated with the way the offense looked this season, he took away play-calling duties from Kafka on multiple occasions. Despite that, it looks like Kafka has been turning heads in the Pacific Northwest during his interviews with Seattle.
There are other candidates in mind, as Graziano noted. Mike Macdonald, the Ravens defensive coordinator, appears to be high on the list. However, could general manager John Schneider look to prioritize an offensive-minded coach over a defensive one?
Should Macdonald end up getting the job in Seattle, that could result in Baltimore promoting Dennard Wilson to defensive coordinator. That'd be a blow for Daboll, as Wilson has interviewed with him twice for his DC opening - Wilson looks to be Coach Dabes' top target.
Soon enough, we'll find out who the Giants will bring in to replace Wink Martindale, but Kafka could very well be on his way out as well. At this point, Seattle going with Kafka over others may not be as much of a long shot as we once thought it was.