NFL insider says to “keep an eye” on Mike Kafka to the Eagles

Shortly after the Philadelphia Eagles fired Doug Pederson on Monday, Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Mike Kafka emerged as a potential head coach replacement.

One can’t help but think about the curious optics of such a hire.

The Eagles fired a guy whom they hired away from the Chiefs and used to play quarterback for them in order to replace him with ... a guy whom they’d be hiring away from the Chiefs and used to play quarterback for them?

It’s not so unthinkable, I suppose. The Eagles reportedly had interest in hiring Kafka as their offensive coordinator last year but never actually submitted an interview request since Andy Reid would’ve blocked it.

There’s certainly reason to be interested in Kafka. He’s been the Patrick Mahomes’ position coach ever since the sensational quarterback became a full-time starter in 2018. Including the playoffs, Mahomes has thrown 127 touchdowns to just 25 interceptions in that span. Oh, and he also won Super Bowl MVP last year.

Of course, it begs to question just how much credit Kafka deserves for Mahomes’ success. Is he merely riding the coattails of a generational superstar?

At the very least, Kafka seems like a candidate worth interviewing. I wonder if the Eagles might actually be more interested in him as a play-calling offensive coordinator if they opt to promote Duce Staley or hire a defensive-minded candidate to be their next head coach.