The Detroit Lions earned some brownie points last month when they hired former New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka to an undisclosed offensive coaching job. With it being up in the air about whether new OC Drew Petzing is the right man for the job, Lions fans were relieved to see an experienced coach like Kafka added to the mix, potentially marking the start of erasing John Morton's negative imprint in the Motor City.
Much to their dismay, the Detroit fan base's excitement for Kafka's arrival was tainted during Super Bowl weekend.
On Saturday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler theorized that the Seattle Seahawks — who are losing OC Klint Kubiak to the Las Vegas Raiders — could target Kafka to be their next offensive coordinator. Fortunately, for Lions fans, it didn't take long for the situation to turn around.
"I’m told (the Seahawks) and coach Mike Macdonald are closing in on hiring from within the team’s current coaching staff to be Seattle’s new offensive coordinator to replace Klint Kubiak," Tacoma News Tribune's Gregg Bell reported on Monday afternoon.
Seahawks' OC Search Update Is Great News Mike Kafka's Lions Future
With the Seahawks reportedly filling their vacant offensive coordinator role with an internal hire, the Lions shouldn't be worried about losing Kafka to the Rain City, for the time being, at least.
While it was disappointing to hear, the Seahawks' theoretical interest in Kafka wouldn't be surprising. Seattle has already interviewed Kafka multiple times in the last two years, as he was a head coach and offensive coordinator candidate before Macdonald and Kubiak were hired to those jobs, respectively.
Even though Kafka's tenure in New York didn't produce much success, the 38-year-old still built up a reputation as a creative coach who knows how to play to his players' strengths. An example of that is how Saquon Barkley rushed for then-career-highs in yards (1,312) and touchdowns (10) in Kafka's first season as Giants OC (2022), giving Lions fans every reason to be excited to see what he can do with Jahmyr Gibbs (and David Montgomery, if he sticks around).
As relieving as the Seahawks' reported OC plans appear to be, it doesn't mean Kafka's is fully guaranteed to stick around. Teams like the Raiders and Arizona Cardinals are still filling out their staffs, and they might consider that Kafka's experience — which now includes a Super Bowl ring — is attractive enough for a role.
At the same time, Kafka just finished a stint with the lowly Giants, so chances are that he wouldn't be interested in a potential rebuild. That bolsters his chances of staying with the Lions for the long haul, especially if general manager Brad Holmes executes the necessary offseason moves to return to the Super Bowl conversation.
The three-headed team of Kafka, Petzing, and head coach Dan Campbell has the potential to do something special next season. Hopefully, now that the Seahawks buzz has passed, the Lions won't have anything else to be worried about, allowing them to tackle the rest of the offseason without unnecessary distractions.