Of course this is an audition for Mike Kafka.
He knows it. The players know it. The co-owners and the general manager know it.
How the interim head coach fares and comports himself in these last seven games will go a long way toward determining if Kafka will be a serious candidate to get the job moving into 2026 and beyond. John Mara and Steve Tisch fired Brian Daboll with the Giants at 2-8 for the third consecutive season, and this promotion is an opportunity for Kafka to show he can handle the big seat.
He knows this is an audition but he would not utter that word or entertain that thought Wednesday, his first day with the players in the building and meeting with the media as the man in charge.
“My only focus is just the players,’’ Kafka said. “We need to make sure as a group, as a staff, we come together, put together a great plan, and really just focus on what the most important thing is.’’
Kafka, 38, sounded confident and decisive as he revealed his first major decisions in his new role.
He said it was his call to promote Jameis Winston into the starting quarterback job with rookie Jaxson Dart in concussion protocol. And Kafka announced that tight ends coach Tim Kelly will now serve as the offensive coordinator, with Kafka retaining the play-calling duties for Sunday’s game against the Packers at MetLife Stadium.
The new normal for Kafka arrived Monday when Daboll was dismissed the day after the Giants blew a fourth quarter lead and lost 24-20 to the Bears in Chicago, their fourth consecutive loss.
“Yeah, I certainly didn’t anticipate it, but it’s one of those things, they happen in this league,’’ Kafka said. “I’m appreciative of what Dabes has done for me as a professional, as a coach, as a person, and getting to understand and know his family. There’s a human element to it, too, so I’m very sensitive to that, and I wish him nothing but the best.
“And we’ll continue to stay in touch with him because he’s a great friend of mine. But there’s a time for us in this group to continue to move forward and go enjoy this and enjoy this process and this journey.’’
Kafka said he informed his quarterbacks that Winston — who had been the No. 3 quarterback all season — will start this week and that Russell Wilson will be the backup. Wilson started the first three games and then was the No. 2 quarterback behind Dart. Kafka said Wilson was a “true pro” when he was told about the demotion.
“He’ll do a great job,’’ Kafka said of Winston.
Dart was forced out of the game against the Bears after he hit his head on the ground after running with the ball and fumbling late in the third quarter. Kafka all but ruled out Dart for Sunday’s game.
“Jaxson’s still in the protocol,’’ Kafka said. “He’s in the middle of it. To be honest with you, I have a lot of trust in our medical staff, in our medical team and they’re taking great care of him. Each day I get a little bit of an update. He’s right on track and right on pace in the program.”
There will be what Kafa called “minor tweaks’’ to the player’s schedule but there is only so much he can do in-season.
“I think one of the most important things I stressed to the players was, we’re not just going to change stuff to change it for no reason,’’ Kafka said.
With Kafka serving as the offensive coordinator since 2022, players on the offensive side of the ball obviously have a much closer relationship with him than those on defense.
“I think he’s ready for it,’’ receiver Darius Slayton said. “He does a great job of standing in front of the guys and giving the charge and giving direction over the past couple of days. Obviously, we know he’s a good play caller.’’
There was a difference to the way Kafka in his expanded role presented himself.
“He definitely had a lot of energy,’’ Slayton said “I feel like he was energized, he came in, you could tell he had a positive mindset, an opportunistic mindset, so to speak. I think anybody that gets a chance to get a job and get a promotion should be that way.’’
Receiver Wan’Dale Robinson said Kafka’s message was “go out there and let it rip,’’ and believes there will be plenty of open dialogue.
“I think he’s going to be very open about listening to us and doing things maybe a little bit differently,’’ Robinson said.
The Giants under Daboll blew four games this season when they were leading in the fourth quarter.
“I really have a lot of belief in this team, a lot of trust in this team, being around them, how these guys fight and battle,’’ Kafka said. “I think we’ve just had some things right there at the end that we’ve just got to go grasp and take it.’’
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