Report: Giants Could Return Play-calling Duties to Mike Kafka…If He Stays
![New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2400,h_1350,x_0,y_93/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/giants_country/01jjqrhgn8vcw3za04jb.jpg)
There were many reasons for the New York Giants' embarrassment last season, one of which was the offense’s "offensive" output.
The Giants finished 30th overall (294.8 yards/game), 23rd in rushing (104.9 yards/game), and 28th in passing (189.9 yards/game), with head coach Brian Daboll calling the plays during the team’s 3-14 season.
The offense's struggles could result in Daboll relinquishing the play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, who held them for two seasons, the New York Post reported.
That is if Kafka, a finalist for the Saints head coaching job, doesn’t leave the organization.
The speculation about Daboll giving up the play-calling duties arose after the Giants logged one of their worst seasons on offense last season with head coach Brian Daboll calling the plays.
Team co-owner John Mara spoke to reporters shortly after announcing that Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen would be retained for 2025, revealing that the topic had come up during his conversation with Daboll.
“I talked to him about, ‘Do you really believe that it’s in our best interest for you to continue calling the plays?’” Mara told reporters.
“‘I said, ‘I’m not going to demand that you do one thing or the other. But are you better off letting somebody else call the plays?’ That’s a discussion that we’re going to continue to have.”
Kafka, one of the head coaches at this year’s Senior Bowl, told reporters that it was still early and that there had been no discussions about the topic.
Kafka called the plays for the Giants during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. In 2022, the Giants enjoyed their best season of the three so far during the Daboll regime, finishing 18th on offense (333.9 yards per game), fourth in rushing (148.2 yards/game) and 26th in passing (185.7 yards/game) en route to a 9-7-1 campaign and their first postseason berth since 2016.
The following year, Kafka and the offense couldn’t build on the progress they had made the year before. Early-season injuries to left tackle Andrew Thomas and running back Saquon Barkley didn’t help, nor did a revolving door at quarterback, also due to injuries.
With Daboll having grown frustrated with the offense in 2023, there were reports that he stripped Kafka of the play calling during that season, at times calling the plays himself and others giving the duties to quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney.
This past year, Daboll, who had called plays before in his various offensive coordinator roles, decided to do the play-calling role full-time, though he did promote Kafka to assistant head coach.
At his year-end press briefing, Daboll left the door open for the possibility that he might relinquish the play calling.
“I brought that up to (Mara) in the meeting,” Daboll said when asked about possibly giving up the playcalling moving forward. “Again, there's no decision that's been made. We'll sit back and look at everything and do what we need to do.”
Despite losing the playcalling, Kafka is still highly regarded in the organization, so much so that last year, they blocked an interview request by the Seattle Seahawks, who were looking to speak with Kafka for their offensive coordinator role.
Despite not having the play-calling duties, Kafka still drew interest for a third straight year. The Saints are the only known team to have interviewed him for their head coaching vacancy.
"There's a reason these teams continue to interview him for head coaching jobs," Schoen said. "He's got a great reputation in our building and around the league. [He's] a former player who played quarterback, came up under Andy Reid, called plays in a playoff season in his first year as an offensive coordinator, very detailed, organized, smart coach, good leadership abilities.”
Should Kafka get the Saints head coaching job, the Giants would receive two third-round picks, one this year and one next year, as compensation under the Rooney Rule.
“Selfishly, I hope he doesn't get the New Orleans job, but if he does, he's well-deserving,” Schoen said. “[He's] a good coach, has a lot of ideas, smart, good leadership. We're fortunate to have him on our staff."