Mike Kafka is in his first season as the Giants' offensive coordinator and sixth as an NFL coach.
Kafka, 35, spent the previous five seasons as an assistant coach on Andy Reid's staff with the Kansas City Chiefs, the last two as the team's quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator.
During Kafka's tenure in Kansas City, the Chiefs were one of the NFL's most successful teams and deployed one of the league's most prolific offenses. Patrick Mahomes became an NFL most valuable player and Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce and Mecole Hardman developed into elite receivers.
In 2021, the Chiefs advanced to the AFC Championship Game for the fourth consecutive year, a streak in which they advanced to two Super Bowls, winning one. Kansas City finished fourth in the NFL in scoring (28.2 points a game) third in total yardage (396.8) and fourth in passing yardage (281.8). Mahomes threw for 4,839 yards – his fourth consecutive 4,000-yard season - and 37 touchdowns against just 13 interceptions. Wide receiver Hill and tight end Kelce combined for 203 catches, 2,364 yards and 11 touchdowns in the regular season, while Hardman added 59 receptions 692 yards and two scores. The trio combined to score seven touchdowns in three postseason games.
The previous year, Mahomes threw for 4,740 yards and 38 touchdowns and just six picks and became just the seventh player in NFL history to throw for 4,500+ passing yards and 35+ touchdown passes multiple times in his career. The Chiefs' passing game ranked first in the league in yards-per-game (303.4), third in average gain per pass play (7.48) and tied for third in passing touchdowns (40). Powered by its passing attack, Kansas City defeated Cleveland and Buffalo in the playoffs to advance to Super Bowl LV.
In 2019, Kafka led a quarterback group that finished first in third down percentage (47.6) and fifth in net passing yards per game (281.1). Despite missing multiple games due to injury, Mahomes threw 26 touchdown passes, tied for the eighth-best mark in the league. He concluded that season by rallying the Chiefs from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat San Francisco in Super Bowl LIV for their first title in 50 years. At 24 years and 138 days old, Mahomes became the third-youngest player and youngest quarterback in NFL history to be named Super Bowl MVP.
In Kafka's first year coaching Kansas City's quarterbacks in 2018, Mahomes was voted the league's MVP after becoming only the second quarterback to pass for over 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns passes in a season. Kelce and Hill combined to catch 22 of those scoring throws.
Kafka served as an offensive quality control coach in his first year with the Chiefs in 2017, when he mentored Mahomes during the quarterback's rookie season. Kansas City's offense featured a 4,000-yard passer (Alex Smith), 1,000-yard rusher (Kareem Hunt), receiver (Hill) and tight end (Kelce).
In 2016, Kafka served as an offensive graduate assistant at his alma mater, Northwestern University. With Kafka's assistance, the Wildcats averaged 398.2 yards per game and 26.0 points per game, and defeated No. 23 Pittsburgh, 31-24, in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl in Yankee Stadium.
That season, senior Austin Carr became the first Wildcat selected as the Richter-Howard Big Ten Receiver of the Year after leading the league in receptions (84), yards (1,196) and touchdowns (12) during the regular season. Carr was one of three finalists for the Fred Biletnikoff Award, presented annually to college football's most outstanding receiver.
Prior to becoming a coach, Kafka enjoyed a six-year NFL playing career, primarily as a backup quarterback and practice squad member with several teams.
Kafka was a fourth-round choice in the 2010 NFL Draft (122nd overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles, then coached by Reid, who has held the same position with the Chiefs since 2013. He played in four games, all with the 2011 Eagles (he completed four of seven passes vs. the Giants on Sept. 25). Kafka also did stints with New England, Tampa Bay and Minnesota, where he spent his final season in 2015.
Kafka played in 30 games at Northwestern, where he completed 408 of 637 passes (64.1%) for 4,265 yards with 19 touchdowns. He set single-game records in both passing yards (532 vs. Auburn, 2010) and rushing yards by a quarterback (217 vs. Minnesota, 2008). Additionally, his 3,725 yards of total offense as a senior in 2009 stands as the No. 2 season in program history.
A product of Chicago's St. Rita High School, Kafka earned a degree in communication studies from Northwestern.
Mike and his wife, Alli, have three children, Ashton, Jackson and Camden.
2016 Northwestern University offensive graduate assistant
2017 Kansas City Chiefs offensive quality control
2018-19 Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks
2020-21 Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks/passing game coordinator
2022 New York Giants offensive coordinator
