Giants block Mike Kafka from coordinator interview with Seahawks

Seattle reportedly had interest in Kafka as offensive coordinator

The New York Giants have reportedly blocked Mike Kafka from interviewing for the Seattle Seahawks’ offensive coordinator position.

A report on Saturday indicated that “there’s interest” from the Seattle Seahawks in talking to Kafka about becoming Seattle’s offensive coordinator. League rules, though, allow teams to deny assistants permission to interview for lateral moves. The Giants took that opportunity here.

Kafka, who has interviewed for six head-coaching vacancies over the past two seasons, was a finalist for the Seattle job that went to Mike MacDonald. MacDonald has been a defensive coordinator, though, so his choice of offensive coordinator for the Seahawks will be critical.

Head coach Brian Daboll said at the end of the season that the plan was for Kafka to return as offensive coordinator. Daboll, though, said the same thing about then-defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. Within about 24 hours, that plan changed.

Kafka is the only one of the three 2023 Giants’ coordinators who appears to be returning. Martindale is gone, and special teams coach Thomas McGaughey was also let go.

This may indicate that Daboll does not plan to be the offensive play caller in 2024. Daboll said at the end of the season that he and Kafka would discuss the play-calling role. With Daboll’s background as a successful offensive coordinator and his seat as head coach warming as he enters Year 3, there has been speculation that Daboll might decide to take full control of the offense — including play-calling. That, though, is still to be determined.

If Daboll ran the offense, Kafka would be downgraded to an offensive coordinator without play-calling responsibilities. That would do nothing to further his career ambitions of becoming a head coach.

Daboll and Kafka worked well together in 2022, helping quarterback Daniel Jones to a career-best season as the Giants reached the playoffs. There were reports of tension between the two in 2023 as the Giants went 6-11.