If the Kansas City Chiefs were eyeing any more candidates for a five-year reunion on Andy Reid's coaching staff, at least one of the invitations will be rejected. That's because Mike Kafka has decided to sign on elsewhere.
After flirting with potential opportunities with other teams, both as a head coach and coordinator, Kafka was hired by the Detroit Lions on Monday in a "high-ranking offensive role" on Dan Campbell's staff in 2026. Kafka joins newly-hired offensive coordinator Drew Petzing as part of a radical staff overhaul on that side of the ball. The Lions fired OC John Morton after one season following Week 18.
Given the presence of Petzing, it's a bit of a surprise to see Kafka land with the Lions, although there's plenty to like in terms of offensive talent from a coaching perspective. It's also possible that Lions wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery, who is also assistant head coach, could be leaving as part of the coaching shuffle that happens when new staffs are formed. The Baltimore Ravens have reached out with an OC interview for him already. Perhaps the Lions wanted to get ahead of some losses.
The Chiefs aren't getting the full band back together after watching Mike Kafka unveil a surprising new chapter in his coaching journey.
Kafka most recently served as the interim head coach of the New York Giants after Brian Daboll was sent packing after winning only two of the franchise's first 10 games of the 2025 season. Kafka earned an interview with the Giants to remove the interim tag, but the Giants pounced on John Harbaugh as a permanent replacement after the Baltimore Ravens fired him following 18 seasons as head coach.
Kafka first became a name to watch back in 2020 when reporters heard his name bandied about in league circles as an assistant coach to watch. Before joining the Giants, he served as the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Chiefs and spent five total years in Kansas City. The Giants hired him away as offensive coordinator for Daboll before he was promoted to the interim head coaching role.
The Chicago Bears checked in on Kafka as a head coaching candidate last year but decided to go with Ben Johnson instead. Before that, the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans also reached out to talk to him about their respective head coaching openings. After getting some interim experience, it feels like it's only a matter of time before Kafka catches on as a head coach.
As for a potential reunion with the Chiefs, Kafka's name was mentioned after it was clear Matt Nagy was going to leave K.C. following three years as offensive coordinator. The Chiefs ended up sticking with a familiar face in Eric Bieniemy while also adding some fresh perspective in the form of wide receivers coach Chad O'Shea, who was hired over from the Cleveland Browns. Andy Reid's staff is still not complete with a noticeable vacancy at running backs coach.