While the Kansas City Chiefs are in the midst of perhaps the greatest dynasty the NFL has ever seen, other teams around the league have been scuffling in the wake of the Kingdom’s dominance.
For the same team to win three Super Bowls in five years, others have to struggle. Head coach Andy Reid’s coaching tree extends far and wide throughout the league, and we’ve seen numerous bright minds go elsewhere in hopes of achieving greater responsibility and success.
While someone like Matt Nagy returned after a debatably failed stint as the Chicago Bears head coach, one beloved ex-coach is now facing the chopping block in his fourth year with the New York Giants.
Mike Kafka served as the Chiefs’ offensive quality coach in 2017 before taking over the quarterbacks coach role from 2018-2019. He was also promoted to their passing game coordinator from 2020-2021 and has since moved on to the Giants, where he’s been the offensive coordinator since 2022.
Unfortunately, things haven’t gone well for Kafka in New York in recent years. It’s hard to argue that any of the mess is his fault, as terrible decisions by general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll have tanked any chance the organization had to succeed. Regardless, both of those figures are facing perhaps their last year in charge, which is bad news for Kafka.
A beloved figure in Kansas City, Kafka helped usher in the early years of Patrick Mahomes, overseeing an MVP season and a deep playoff run. He deserved the opportunity he’s received, but it appears he may be on a sinking ship.
The Giants pushed their chips to the table by taking Ole Miss signal-caller Jaxson Dart in the first round, though most analysts considered the trade-up to acquire him a reach. This is a desperate brass with nothing to show, indicating they should be trusted, though Kafka is stuck anyway.
If Schoen and Daboll are fired after 2025, which is a probable possibility, he’ll likely be looking for a new job.
Should that happen, Kansas City should welcome him back with open arms in an increased role. Perhaps Kafka can turn Dart into a star, and more credit to him if he does, though it looks like he’ll need a new job for the 2026 campaign.
