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Five things to know about OC Mike Kafka

MIKE-KAFKA-ANNOUNCEMENT

Five things to know about new Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.

1. Kafka spent the last five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he began as the offensive quality control coach in 2017. He then became the Chiefs' quarterbacks coach in 2018, where he served in that role for two seasons before adding the title of passing game coordinator in 2020. His coaching career began at Northwestern in 2016, where he spent one season as a graduate assistant. Kafka was also an NFL quarterback from 2010-2015, spending time with seven different teams as a backup quarterback and practice squad member.

2. Kafka has led one of the most elite quarterback rooms in the NFL over the last four seasons. The Chiefs ranked fourth in the NFL with 281.8 passing yards per game in 2021 after leading the league in the category in 2020 (303.4). Patrick Mahomes put together another campaign with 4,500 passing yards and 35+ passing touchdowns this past season, the third time he has accomplished the feat in four years. In his first season as quarterbacks coach in 2018, Kafka helped guide Mahomes to the franchise's first NFL MVP Award after he broke four Chiefs passing records and became only the second QB to pass for over 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in a season.

3. Prior to joining the Chiefs, Kafka returned to his alma mater where he served as an offensive graduate assistant at Northwestern University. With Kafka on the coaching staff, the Wildcats averaged 398.2 yards and 26.0 points per game. Northwestern earned a trip to the New Era Pinstripe Bowl that season, where they beat No. 23 Pittsburgh 31-24. Wide receiver Austin Carr was awarded the Richter-Howard Big Ten Receiver of the Year after finishing with 84 receptions for 1,196 yards and 12 touchdowns.

View photos of the three Giants coordinators - OC Mike Kafka, DC Don 'Wink' Martindale, and STC Thomas McGaughey.

4. Kafka had a six-year playing career in the NFL where he primarily served as a backup quarterback and practice squad member. He was a fourth-round pick (No. 122 overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles, led at the time by Head Coach Andy Reid. Kafka appeared in four games throughout his career, all during the 2011 season with the Eagles. He also spent time with the New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans and Cincinnati Bengals.

5. Before being drafted, Kafka enjoyed a successful collegiate career at Northwestern, where he appeared in 30 games. Over his career there, he completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 4,265 yards with 19 touchdowns. He set single-game records in both passing yards (532 vs. Auburn, 2010) and rushing yards by a quarterback (217 vs. Minnesota, 2008), and his 3,725 yards of total offense as a senior in 2009 still stands as the second-most in school history. After graduating from Chicago's St. Rita High School, Kafka earned a degree in communication studies from Northwestern. Kafka and his wife, Alli, have a daughter, Ashton.

KAFKA'S COACHING CAREER

Northwestern University (2016) – Offensive Graduate Assistant

Kansas City Chiefs (2017) – Offensive Quality Control

Kansas City Chiefs (2018-2019) – Quarterbacks

Kansas City Chiefs (2020-2021) Quarterbacks & Passing Game Coordinator

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