Mike Kafka, Eric Bieniemy are co-favorites to be Eagles next head coach

Chiefs coaches Eric Bieniemy and Mike Kafka are considered co-favorites to be the Eagles next head coach.

The Philadelphia Eagles officially fired head coach Doug Pederson on Monday in a surprise move that created a seventh head coaching vacancy in the NFL this winter. Despite the fact that Pederson was a former member of the Kansas City Chiefs coaching staff back in 2017 when he was first hired, the Eagles are expected to go back to that well for their next hire—at least if you believe oddsmakers.

Both Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka are considered the co-favorites, per Odds Shark, to be the new head coach of the Eagles when all is said and done.

Bieniemy has already been a hot name discussed this offseason, as with the last two offseasons, and the OC has five total interviews in process thus far, with the Houston Texans as the only team hiring a new head coach who has not shown interest in Bieniemy. Interviews have already taken place for the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions jobs, although all meetings have been virtual given COVID protocols in place for teams still in the playoffs.

Kafka has become a name to know in future head coaching circles this offseason after serving the last few years as the Chiefs quarterbacks coach. Kafka is widely considered the heir apparent to Bieniemy’s job if/when he is hired away, but the link to Philadelphia is stronger than any other team here. After all, Kafka is a former Eagles draft pick—a fourth round selection back in the 2010 NFL Draft, when Andy Reid was still head coach.

The idea that Kafka would be ready to be a head coach, however, seems a bit of a stretch only because he began his coaching career in 2016 as an assistant at Northwestern before Reid invited him to join the Chiefs in 2017. Even a quick study, Kafka might not be ready to shoulder such a load. That said, Kafka could always hire experienced help around him and the Eagles could be patient with a learning curve if they really felt Kafka was their guy.

The Eagles are expected to also keep Duce Staley, who has been the team’s assistant head coach since 2018, in the loop as well.