Will Mike Kafka Stay on as Giants HC? Latest Rumors on Search Before Patriots Game

The New York Giants are looking to give interim head coach Mike Kafka "a real run at the job" as the team continues its coaching search, according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer.

"Kafka's on a pared-down list of about 10 candidates that GM Joe Schoen has built, a list that Schoen has curated over the years on the advice of mentors who'd tell him that a good GM would always keep one," Breer reported. "That doesn't mean the Giants won't add to the list. But it does mean that, while they're researching a wide range of options, they won't interview the whole football world for a job that will be highly coveted in the industry."

New York has lost its first two games since Kafka took over for Brian Daboll, which isn't a big enough sample by which to judge his general credentials.

The early returns have been difficult to parse, too. In a 34-27 overtime defeat to the Detroit Lions, the Giants piled up 517 with Jameis Winston under center. The excitement the offense's performance generated was undercut by the fact the team blew yet another double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.

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One assumes Schoen won't make a final decision on the next head coach until the offseason, when he's had time to vet and interview outside candidates.

Kafka is in an advantageous position from the standpoint that a strong finish to 2025 could build a lot of popular support internally. That's something Schoen would have a hard time ignoring.