Colts interview Giants coordinator Mike Kafka, known for developing young quarterbacks

INDIANAPOLIS — Mike Kafka’s spent most of the past two weeks deflecting any talk about his head coaching prospects, repeatedly saying his sole focus has been on the Giants’ playoff chances.

Kafka has time to focus on his potential future on Sunday, interviewing with the Colts and reportedly the Carolina Panthers. Houston’s also interested.

The former Northwestern quarterback, still only 35 years old, is the youngest candidate in the extensive group of interviews Indianapolis has conducted, but it’s also easy to see why he’s become a hot commodity.

Kafka’s got the right mentor in Andy Reid.

And the way he’s helped Brian Daboll find answers for New York’s offense this season shows the kind of ingenuity that teams have been trying to find for years, routinely going back to what seems like an endless supply of young, talented offensive coordinators.

The ingenuity that convinced Daboll to not only hire Kafka last offseason, but also that the former Chiefs staffer was the right man to handle play-calling duties, even though Reid handles those responsibilities in Kansas City and Daboll had a long history as a play-caller in his days as an offensive coordinator.

“It was a part of the interview process, where he wanted his offensive coordinator to call the plays,” Kafka said when the decision was finalized in September.

Kafka’s history in Kansas City likely plays a key role in the Colts’ interest in the young offensive coordinator.

Ballard learned a lot from Reid during the four seasons he spent with the Chiefs, and he’s long respected Reid’s ability to develop coaches — Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is also among the 14 candidates the Colts have targeted to interview for the head coaching position.

Reid is the biggest reason Kafka’s already in this position.

Kafka spent two of his five seasons in the NFL as a backup quarterback on Reid’s Eagles rosters, and the Chiefs coach plucked him away from a graduate assistant’s position at Northwestern after just one season to become an offensive quality control coach in Kansas City in 2017.

Kafka’s rise after that decision was swift.

Kansas City drafted Patrick Mahomes in 2017, and Kafka became the Chiefs quarterbacks coach as Mahomes ascended to the full-time starting role a year later and took the NFL by storm.  The pair spent the next four seasons working together.

For a quarterback-needy team like the Colts, a team likely getting ready to draft and develop a first-round quarterback to be its franchise passer, Kafka’s experience with Mahomes is a good enough reason to bring the Giants offensive coordinator for an interview.

But Kafka’s season in New York is a different kind of experience, evidence that the young coordinator knows how to unlock the abilities of a quarterback who doesn’t have the otherworldly passing ability of Mahomes, the NFL’s best quarterback.

Working with Daboll, the Giants rebuilt their offense this season, tailoring it to the dual-threat abilities of Jones, and the young quarterback played some of his best football down the stretch, most notably in New York’s playoff win over the Giants.

Building a relationship with quarterbacks, or any player, for that matter, comes down to authenticity for Kafka.

“Coaching, playing, I think that it’s important to show your personality, and I think you have to be you whenever you’re trying to give a message,” Kafka said.

Known for being calm and steady, Kafka believes his disposition is perfect for the NFL, a place where distractions are constantly flying.

“Football can be chaotic at times,” Kafka told reporters in New York this week. “Being in that demeanor allows me to problem solve, think clearly and get the guys the right information. … That’s really all the players want is an answer.”

Kafka is the latest in a long line of initial Indianapolis interviews in the NFL's widest coaching search.

Indianapolis interviewed special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone, Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen last week, along with Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who elected to stay in Detroit.

Colts interim coach Jeff Saturday kicked off the second round of initial interviews Thursday, and the Colts have interviewed Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans and Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale in addition to Kafka this weekend.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts coaching search: Young QB developer Mike Kafka interviews