Chicago Bears Coaching Candidate: Mike Kafka |
Anytime a team undergoes a head coaching change and starts the interview process; there will be a long list of candidates eager to prove their worth. Not only is that the case for the Bears, but after announcing 17 candidates a month ago, more candidates will be added to the list as the Bears hope to start interviews soon.
Many of the names the Bears have mentioned or requested to interview make a ton of sense, but you also have those names that make little to no sense. Please leave it to the Bears to publically announce the first name of what could be several names that don't make sense, as they have requested to Interview former Northwestern University QB and NFL journeyman Mike Kafka. It's not a surprise to see strange names added to any coaching search, as most teams keep all of their options open, but seeing Kafka was something no one saw coming. When you look at the NFL landscape and dive through the teams, few organizations are in a worse situation than the New York Giants. This organization chose to sign Daniel Jones over Sequon Barkley, and everyone saw how that turned out. Kafka is not only part of the Giants organization but also the offensive coordinator for Brian Daboll's staff, and that is a concern if you are a fan of the Bears. Daboll was linked to the Bears job three years ago and was always seen as an offensive guru who could turn any young quarterback around. You started to see that during his first season with Jones as he led the Giants to the playoffs, but the past two seasons have been rough. It has especially been rough offensively, which is where Kafka comes into play, but some wonder how much of that is Kafka's fault as opposed to having a lack of talent across the board. Kafka was a successful quarterback during his time with Northwestern, and he ultimately wound up making the second All-Big 10 team in 2009. He would then land in the NFL for one season. During that season, Kafka played for the Eagles and saw action in four games, registering no TDs and two INTs.
After retiring from the league in 2011, Kafka took some time to find himself before getting into coaching before the 2017 season, and that is what he has been doing ever since. Even if you look at his tenure with the Giants and use that as the benchmark for why you like this interview, New York isn't the only team he has been a part of.
Kafka got his start under Andy Reid as a Kansas City Chiefs staff member from 2017-2022 as an Offensive quality control coach. He then went on to spend the next two seasons as the Quarterback coach before taking over as the Passing game coordinator in 2020. Kafka also worked alongside Matt Nagy in some of those seasons, so there is some minimal connection between the Chicago Bears and Kafka.
After spending six seasons with the Chiefs, Kafka took his coaching talents to the Giants in 2022 and became Daboll's offensive coordinator, where he has been ever since. This season, he even added an assistant Head Coach title to his name, which shows how valued his coaching knowledge is.
While his success with the Giants has been minimal at best, he has experience with Patrick Mahomes, which is worth noting. You have to think that Kafka picked up some things when he worked with him that could be of value to Caleb Williams. He is the most critical piece to the Bears' future, so Chicago needs to find a coach willing to work with him and mold him into the quarterback the Bears are hoping for.
As strange as this request is, Kafka has also worked with Ryan Poles as he was an assistant GM in Kansas City. The connection side of the NFL is playing a factor in this decision to bring him in, as Poles must know something that many fans don't.
Keep in mind that Kafka was considered for the Bears offensive coordinator job not once but twice, as Nagy almost lured him here in 2020, with Eberflus following suit in 2022. The front office, mainly Poles, values his opinion enough to keep interviewing him, so look for him to meet with the front office sooner rather than later.
