Michael John Kafka is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants of the NFL.
Mike Kafka : Giants | Brian Daboll | Contract | Coach
After attending St. Rita of Cascia High School in Chicago, Illinois, he played college football for Northwestern, where he received second-team All-Big Ten Conference honors as a senior.
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| Born: | July 25, 1987 Chicago, Illinois |
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight: | 230 lb (104 kg) |
He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft, and spent six seasons in the NFL as a journeyman quarterback.
Kafka became the quarterbacks coach for the Chiefs in 2018, and Patrick Mahomes, the starting quarterback for the Chiefs, earned the NFL Most Valuable Player award that season. Kafka helped the team win Super Bowl LIV the following season.
Despite being the backup quarterback in 2008 for Northwestern, Kafka finished second on the team in rushing yards with 321.
Following C. J. Bachér’s graduation, Kafka became the starter for 2009. Against Syracuse, he set the school record for most consecutive pass completions with 16.
Giants
Like most teams, the Giants will not want to reveal too much to eagle-eyed future opponents Thursday when facing the New England Patriots.
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But Kafka, a first-time offensive coordinator, simultaneously is trying to impress head coach Brian Daboll and keep play-calling duties in his possession once the regular season begins.
“I look at it as an opportunity,” Kafka said. “Everyone out there is working hard to make the team and show that they can build themselves a role.
So, I’m looking to do my job to the best of my ability and put the guys in the best position to be successful. There’s a balance.”
Kafka became a graduate assistant with the Northwestern football team in 2016, and was hired by the Chiefs as an offensive quality control coach in 2017.
He was promoted to quarterbacks coach in 2018, and helped the team win the Super Bowl during the 2019 season, his first as a player or coach. He was given an additional title of passing game coordinator in 2020. After the 2021 season, he joined the Giants as their offensive coordinator.
Mike Kafka Brian Daboll
Over the last few seasons, Brian Daboll became one of the league’s better offensive play callers while serving as a coordinator for the Bills.
But unlike many head coaches who’ve ascended from offensive coordinator in recent years, it’s looking more likely that he won’t be calling plays in his first year with the Giants.
Daboll had offensive coordinator Mike Kafka — previously the Chiefs quarterbacks coach — call plays during the offseason program.
That will continue throughout the summer, though it could change once the regular season arrives.
“Mike’s done a really good job in the spring, which he handled the scripts,” Daboll said in his Thursday press conference.
“Again, we talk on a day-to-day basis on plays and things to install. But he’s been on the headset with Daniel and he’ll be doing that through camp. As we get closer to it, we’ll sit down and discuss it.
“But I’ve been really happy with Mike — not just his communication with the quarterback but how he’s handled the offensive staff, how he’s handled the players.
Contract
Kafka spent five years with the Chiefs and was often credited with assisting the development of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, along with head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
| Contract: | 2 yr(s) / $1,230,000 |
|---|---|
| Average Salary | $615,000 |
| Total Guarantees | – |
| Guaranteed at Signing | – |
| Free Agent: | 2016 / UFA |
In the week after the Chiefs’ overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills, Mahomes was asked about how he maintains his composure in high-pressure moments, and Mahomes credited the coaching trio for his in-game preparation.
“Well, you don’t know today,” Reid said on Jan. 31. “As the day goes on, you might know. I’m sure there will be other guys that have opportunities. It just depends.
Every year is a little different, but we’ll just see how that goes as the next few days take place. Not all the head coaches are hired in this league right now, so you don’t know where all that’s going.”
Mike kafka coach
Kafka was hired by the New York Giants on February 11, 2022, to be their offensive coordinator under newly-hired head coach Brian Daboll.
On March 29, 2016, Kafka was hired as an offensive graduate assistant at Northwestern University.
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A year later, on February 7, 2017, Kafka was hired by the Kansas City Chiefs to be their offensive quality control coach, reuniting him with a coach from his playing career, Andy Reid. Kafka was promoted to quarterbacks coach on January 26, 2018.
In 2018, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes earned his first Pro Bowl selection and was named NFL Most Valuable Player after the season. The Chiefs went to the AFC Championship Game but lost to the New England Patriots.
Mahomes was named to his second Pro Bowl during the 2019 season.The Chiefs won Super Bowl LIV on February 2, 2020, against the San Francisco 49ers, with Mahomes earning Super Bowl MVP honors.
The Chiefs gave Kafka an additional coaching title of passing game coordinator on March 6, 2020. Mahomes earned a third Pro Bowl selection in 2020.