The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off their first season in over a decade that didn't end in a playoff appearance. That means that changes are going to be made and one obvious change that needs to be made is at the offensive coordinator spot.
Matt Nagy reclaimed the offensive coordinator gig in 2023 after Eric Bieniemy moved on and it hasn't gone well, to say the least. Sure, the Chiefs won a Super Bowl in the 2023 season but it wasn't the offense that propelled them to the top of the NFL mountain. The Chiefs offense has seemingly gotten worse under Nagy's tutelage and it's time to bring someone else in.
Former Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith appeared on Up & Adams on Tuesday and was asked by Kay Adams if he'd be interested in taking on that job. He immediately said no and Adams then asked him who he thinks could make sense in Kansas City as the next OC. His answer? Former Chiefs quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka.
"Oh, I wouldn't be shocked if they bring Kafka back," Smith said. "Andy [Reid] just rarely brings somebody outside of his circle... Kafka fits that so perfectly, right? He just spent, what, four or five years with [Brian] Daboll, that system, I think, but obviously, he knows this Chiefs system so well."
Alex Smith says Mike Kafka makes sense as Chiefs next OC
Bringing Kafka back would make a ton of sense for the Chiefs given his success with them during his first stint in Kansas City. He left K.C. in the 2022 offseason, following Brian Daboll to New York to be the Giants offensive coordinator. Once Daboll was fired in 2025, Kafka was the interim head coach and now will be looking for a new home this offseason. Reuniting with Reid could be a smart move for him.
The problem is that it's no secret that Reid is the one calling the plays, which makes the OC job in Kansas City a little less appealing. Fans also would like to see Reid bring in an outside hire, maybe Kliff Kingsbury, who previously worked with Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech. Kafka wouldn't be an outside hire but the most important factor for the fanbase is that he's not Nagy, so it'd be an upgrade in their eyes.
This is all assuming, of course, that Nagy does end up leaving, which Smith said he heard was going to be the case. Fans won't be disappointed about that considering how poorly the offense has performed since he became the OC (even if he's not the one calling the plays) and it now means the Chiefs have a massive position to fill.
As for Smith himself not being interested in the OC job, that's no surprise. There had never been any strong indications that he was looking to get into coaching and, as he said, he has three kids that he doesn't want to be away from. The analyst gig is clearly suiting him well so why move on from that if he's enjoying himself?
Will Mike Kafka get another chance in Kansas City? Or will we see someone else step into the offensive coordinator role for the Chiefs?