Mike Kafka Has Major Edge in Giants' Head-Coaching Search

Mike Kafka is currently serving as New York Giants interim head coach, but Kafka is operating as if he feels he has a serious chance to keep the job in a full-time role in 2026.

First, he disciplined rookie edge rusher Abdul Carter, who missed a walkthrough prior to the Giants' Week 11 matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Then, following New York's latest fourth-quarter collapse against the Detroit Lions, he fired defensive coordinator Shane Bowen.

You don't typically see interim coaches so brazen with their decision-making, and it also seems pretty clear that the Giants have given Kafka full autonomy to do what he wants.

The prevailing thought is that New York will go outside the organization to make its next hire, which is generally the wisest path to pursue. But is there a chance that the Giants could actually stick with Kafka heading into next season?

Let me just say this: while I am certainly not advising Big Blue to retain Kafka as head coach, he definitely has a significant edge over his competitors. And what is the advantage? Jaxson Dart.

You never want to force a young quarterback to change systems. Historically, it doesn't usually end well. Remember what the Giants put Daniel Jones through with a million and one different coaching changes during his tenure in the Big Apple?

For that reason, New York may feel inclined to seriously consider Kafka. At the very least, the Giants may want to keep him around as an offensive coordinator.

Let's face it: Dart is the franchise right now. Jones didn't pan out in New York, but Dart — who has missed the last couple of weeks due to a concussion — appears to be on a very positive trajectory and has already won over the hearts of Giants fans in a way that Jones never did in six seasons.

The goal for the G-Men should be to keep Dart as comfortable as possible, and that could mean hiring Kafka as a full-time head coach for 2026.

While I actually think keeping him on as the offensive coordinator is the more ideal avenue, it's important to remember that any new head coach will probably want to hire his own staff. I personally love the idea of bringing in a defensive-minded head coach and allowing Kafka to stay and call plays, but the chances of that happening seem relatively minimal.

It appears blatantly obvious to me that Kafka is sending a strong message to the Giants' front office over his first couple of weeks as interim coach, and you can even sense the players responding to Kafka quite a bit differently than they did with Brian Daboll.

Yes, injured wide receiver Malik Nabers called Kafka out over a questionable late-game play call in a since-deleted tweet, but otherwise, there seems to be a new energy pulsating through New York's locker room, and that's a good thing.

But will Dart's security with Kafka be enough to prevent the Giants from bringing in a fresh face to hopefully change the toxic culture in the Meadowlands? That remains to be seen.