Pat Fitzgerald spotted visiting NFL team practice amid coaching drama

by: Nick Schultz 49 minutes ago NickSchultz_7

As Mike Kafka began his second week of practice as New York Giants head coach, his former coach was in attendance. Former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald was in attendance on Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.

Kafka played quarterback at Northwestern from 2005-09, and Fitzgerald took over as head coach in 2006. The two remain close, and Fitzgerald took a visit to practice as the Giants get ready to take on the Detroit Lions in Week 12.

During his career at Northwestern, Kafka worked his way up to the starting quarterback role in 2009 and made his mark in the Outback Bowl that year. He set the game’s records for completions and pass attempts as he went 47-for-78 for 532 passing yards – a new Outback Bowl and Northwestern program record – with four touchdowns.

Former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald was at Giants practice on Wednesday. He is a close friend and mentor for Mike Kafka.

— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) November 19, 2025

After bouncing around the NFL from 2010-15, Kafka returned to Northwestern as a graduate assistant under Fitzgerald in 2016. He then joined the Kansas City Chiefs’ staff from 2017-21, working his way up from offensive quality control coach to quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator. Brian Daboll then brought him aboard as the Giants’ offensive coordinator in 2022 until Kafka took over as interim head coach last week.

Read More