Coach the Bears Rejected Gives Surprise Comments on Search

The Chicago Bears went far and wide to land their next head coach and the hiring of Ben Johnson has everyone excited. But while the Bears tabbed the former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator to lead them into the future, there were a slew of other candidates who didn’t get the job.

A lot of times, this can cause a coach to have sour grapes or look for a job somewhere else. But in the case of one candidate, it was an impressive view into how the organization is run and how the Bears are in good hands with Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles.

Mike Kafka Compliments Chicago Bears After Interviewing for Head Coaching Job

New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka was one of many who interviewed for the Bears job this month and was asked about his experience at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. on Wednesday. While he didn’t get the job, Kafka left with a positive impression and was bullish on the Bears’ outlook moving forward.

“It was a very thorough interview,” Kafka said. “There are great people there. I know [Poles], [Bears special adviser] Ted Crews is in the room, [Bears chairman George McCaskey] was there. I’m from Chicago, so it was an honor to be there and talk to those people, because I respect the organization and watched them growing up. So it was cool to be in the room. I learned a lot about myself. Obviously, they went in a different direction and I’m happy for them, but it was a great experience and a learning experience that I can apply to future interviews.”

Kafka also had more positive words for Poles, who was in the Kansas City front office while Kafka was on Andy Reid’s coaching staff from 2017 to 2021.

“I think what probably stood out the most was, knowing Poles for so long in Kansas City and watching him have some success in Chicago and really the team that’s kind of built around him,” Kafka said. “It’s really cool to see. You can see that from the group he has there really has his back and understands his vision. And it was very clear.”

Kafka didn’t get the job but has maintained a high profile since his Chicago interview. In addition to coaching the American squad at this week’s Senior Bowl showcase, Kafka is still in the mix for another head coaching job with the New Orleans Saints.

With Kafka continuing to be in demand, it appears that the Bears made a good decision by bringing him to Chicago for an interview and it may have been another sign that Chicago is trending up following the hire of Johnson.

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