Mike Kafka was an ascending coach in NFL circles before a stint with the New York Giants started to derail his reputation. Despite taking a bit of a step back in his role with the Detroit Lions, head coach Dan Campbell was clear that he thinks Kafka is the perfect fit for the team.
Kafka is entering his first year as the Lions’ passing game coordinator. Campbell believes Kafka’s time with the Lions will allow Kafka to ‘humble himself.’
Kafka was the Giants‘ interim head coach to close out the season after their head coach, Brian Daboll, was fired. Campbell was the Miami Dolphins‘ interim head coach when Joe Philbin was fired.
So, Campbell can relate to the young head coach. He can also serve as a guide that shows that his career will not be defined by the poor ending to his time with the Giants.
Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell Has Sound Advice for Mike Kafka
GettyDetroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell.
Kafka was a rising head coach after playing quarterback in the NFL from 2010-15. He was mostly a practice squad or third-string option on an active roster, but he made the connections to join the coaching fraternity.
He started as a graduate assistant with Northwestern, his alma mater, in 2016. Then, he joined the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017. This made sense because he was drafted in the fourth round by Andy Reid in 2010 when he was with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Kafka started to rise through the coaching ranks under Reid. He went from offensive quality control to quarterbacks coach. From there, he became the Chiefs’ passing-game coordinator.
In 2022, he was hired by the Giants to be their offensive coordinator. In 2024, he was promoted to assistant head coach. Then, in 2025, he was let go as the interim head coach.
Now, he is back to being a passing game coordinator, the spot he was in back in 2021. That is a strong reminder of how fast the league can change.
Dan Campbell is the Perfect Mentor for Kafka
Campbell rose to an interim head coach with the Dolphins before going to the New Orleans Saints to be a tight ends coach and assistant head coach. So, he got the assistant head coach title, but still had to stay patient and wait his turn.
He continued to climb up the ranks with the Saints during his second chance, which led to the Lions taking a chance on him. This could easily be the path that Kafka takes.
He could reset his career for a couple of years on the Lions. This is a strong passing attack with known star players and an ascending offensive line. Like coaching for the Saints under Sean Payton, the stability on the roster could make him look better than the dysfunction of the last stint. While he is the passing game coordinator now, if things go well, and Drew Petzing gets hired, he will get a quick promotion.
After Kafka is able to rebuild his image, he could return to being a highly coveted head coaching candidate.
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