Mike Macdonald’s reported hiring as the new head coach of the Seattle Seahawks could be a good news/bad news thing for the New York Giants.
The good news for the Giants is that offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, who interviewed twice for the Seattle job, did not get it. That increases the likelihood that Kafka will be back with the Giants for a third season in 2024, though there have been reports of tension between Kafka and head coach Brian Daboll.
The potential bad news for the Giants is on the other side of the ball.
Macdonald was defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens have two internal candidates to replace Macdonald. One is assistant head coach/defensive line coach Anthony Weaver, who has been with the Ravens since 2021. The other is defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson, who is considered a leading candidates for the Giants’ vacant defensive coordinator position.
Wilson is the only candidate the Giants have interviewed twice, with GM Joe Schoen having said earlier this week that he would like to have the defensive coordinator post settled by the end of the week.
Wilson has also drawn interest in this hiring cycle from the Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers and Tennessee Titans.
The Giants’ field of candidates has narrowed recently. Shane Bowen, defensive coordinator of the Titans, is staying there for now. The Buffalo Bills promoted Bobby Babich from linebackers coach to defensive coordinator.
That leaves Wilson, Giants’ defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson, Miami Dolphins’ linebackers coach Anthony Campanile and Kansas City Chiefs’ linebackers coach Brendan Daly as candidates who have been interviewed.
The Giants would have to wait until after the Feb. 11 Super Bowl to hire Daly.