ARIZONA CARDINALS
Cardinals to meet Tuesday with Giants OC Mike Kafka, per report
New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, left, and quarterback Daniel Jones (8) watch practices before a preseason NFL football game against the New York Jets, Aug. 28, 2022, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/John Munson, File)
The Arizona Cardinals will interview New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka for their opening at head coach, adding a third new name to their list of candidates following the NFL’s championship weekend.
ESPN’s Field Yates and NFL Network’s Tom Peliserro reported the intention to interview Kafka, who Pelissero added will meet with the team Tuesday.
Arizona this week has also lined up interviews with Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and offensive coordinator Brian Callahan.
Kafka has already interviewed for the openings with the Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts.
Carolina has filled its position with former Colts coach Frank Reich, while Houston reportedly is strongly leaning toward hiring 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans.
Kafka, 35, played quarterback in the NFL from 2010-15, appearing in four games with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2011.
He jumped into coaching as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Northwestern, in 2016 for a season. Kafka joined the Kansas City Chiefs as an offensive quality control coach in 2017, was elevated to quarterbacks coach in 2018 and added the responsibility of passing game coordinator to that title in 2020.
Kafka joined the Giants this past year under head coach Brian Daboll, the former Buffalo Bills OC. Before the 2022 season, Daboll announced that Kafka would call plays for New York, which went on to make the playoffs with a 9-7-1 record. New York ranked 18th in yards per game.
The Giants, with quarterback Daniel Jones learning Daboll’s offense, had the seventh-lowest passing yards per game average (185.7) in the NFL during the regular season but was fourth in rushing yards per game (148.2) while leaning on running back Saquon Barkley.
New York ranked 10th in Football Outsiders’ offensive Defense-Adjusted Value Over Average metric.
Kafka, Anarumo and Callahan join a list of eight viable candidates for the Cardinals’ head-coaching job that also includes Steelers assistant Brian Flores, Broncos DC Ejiro Evero, Lions DC Aaron Glenn, former Saints head coach Sean Payton and Arizona DC Vance Joseph.
Furthermore, the Cardinals had an interest in Reich, Ryans and current Cowboys DC Dan Quinn, who reportedly interviewed twice before opting to return to Dallas.
