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November 26, 2025 • 10 mins

Interim head coach Mike Kafka speaks to the media Wednesday from the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
So decks flanning in foals and cave. I will be
the only true that I won't do anything today, where
else will be rolling.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
What's the story with Dex? Like what body plant?

Speaker 3 (00:11):
His elbow? Just deal but from the game is being
smart with it.

Speaker 4 (00:14):
It's the same Albou from last year that he's kind
of been dealing with.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Oh yeah, yeah, sure island or are you just giving
him today?

Speaker 3 (00:24):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (00:24):
Just let him work through the rehab process, get some
work on it. He's a vet that's taking care of
his body. But just want to be smart with him.

Speaker 4 (00:32):
Okave On, is this something that is going to be
uh longer term issue?

Speaker 2 (00:35):
Nounced?

Speaker 4 (00:35):
It's three weeks or relieve since he's been out.

Speaker 1 (00:37):
Yeah, I'm not you know at the timetables and stuff
like that. You know, not really the form to talk
about that, but you know we have a good plan
for him and he's doing everything he can.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
To get back those Jackson and do today.

Speaker 1 (00:49):
Yeah, Jackson's he's still in the protocol, but he'll he'll
get some work out there today with the group looking
forward to that, just like you similar did last week. No,
he'll be a full participant today, get some work.

Speaker 4 (00:59):
How do you plan on distributing the reps for the quarterbacks.

Speaker 1 (01:03):
Yeah, talking with Shay earlier today, we had a really
good plan. You know, it's a condensed We got a
little condensed practice today in terms of the full speed
work and some walkthrough reps in.

Speaker 3 (01:11):
There as well.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
But Shay's got a great plan and talking with TK
as well. Like, I think it's I think it's important
that we have a really strong, firm plan and those
guys have talked through it and I like it.

Speaker 5 (01:22):
Primarily Jackson at this point I think started, Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:27):
No, it's and it's it's it's limited just because we
got to walk through scenario. So both of those guys
will get work today.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
Are you operating as they feel? Start on Monday?

Speaker 3 (01:35):
Good?

Speaker 6 (01:35):
Last week I thought it was kind of change maybe
in plan in terms of how you diving.

Speaker 2 (01:38):
Up the reps.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
Yeah, we had we had the same plan that we
had last week. We'll kind of carry that into this
week and then just really see what ends up happening,
you know, throughout the process with Jackson being in the protocol, like.

Speaker 6 (01:48):
The whole world kind of saw how you guys, uh loved.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
Drake May in the in the draft process on hard docks.

Speaker 6 (01:57):
What do you recall about your interactions with him and
what he you think of what he's shown.

Speaker 4 (02:01):
So far in year two.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
Drake's been very impressive. You know, in year two you
saw him make that jump. He's operating at a high level.
He's creating explosives, you know, things that we saw on tape,
and you know, sure we like we enjoyed watching him
on tape and he's doing a nice job for him
and it's really cool to see him play that well.

Speaker 6 (02:17):
Do you you know, you've evaluated hundreds of quarterbacks, do
you see similarities?

Speaker 2 (02:23):
Like, were there things you liked in Drake May that
you saw on Jackson Dark.

Speaker 3 (02:26):
They're both, they're both, they're both different qbs.

Speaker 1 (02:28):
It's really hard to kind of get to the that
that that type of talk when you talk about quarterbacks
of all different games, different systems, you know, across the
league really but but Drake's.

Speaker 3 (02:37):
Done a nice job.

Speaker 1 (02:38):
He's handling the new offense and working through it and
doing a really good job in terms of the run, game, passing,
the scramble and the explosive plays on the perimeter. So yeah,
I mean we got it. We have really a big
challenge ahead of us in terms of the defensive side.
You know, all the time down but you know, a
challenge that we're looking forward to and looking forward to
working today.

Speaker 7 (02:54):
Drake is Drake is the third second year quarterback that
you fixed the sphere. How big of a jump is that,
I guess for just traditionally for quarterbacks to make them
that first and second year.

Speaker 1 (03:08):
You know, there's just every situation. Every year is different.
Every team's a new team. You know, the guys he
had last year different than the guys he had this year.
Same thing, offensive, defensive, league, special teams, the teams he
played are different than he played this year. So, but
the more experience you bank, the more comfortability you get
in the system, more comfortability you get in playing, and
the more you know, comfortability you get with the players

(03:29):
you're out there with.

Speaker 3 (03:29):
So you take that next step.

Speaker 1 (03:31):
You continue to build on the things that you do
well and then the things that you struggle with, and
you really tie that down and look in the offseason
and you look at how you can improve in those areas.
And you know, the better players, the best players in
the league, they do that. They evaluate themselves and they
figure out how they can get better. And you know
Drake has done that.

Speaker 6 (03:47):
You know, thus far, Michael Jackson does return to the field,
what do you think would be the.

Speaker 4 (03:52):
Next step of his development?

Speaker 1 (03:54):
You know, we're just we're still going through the protocol
with him, you know, I don't want to get too
far ahead, just kind of take it by today.

Speaker 3 (03:59):
But I'm you know, I'm excited for him.

Speaker 1 (04:00):
If he's able to go and the doctors clear him,
then we'll then we'll kind of address that when when
we get there. But right now, you know, just folks
on today having a great, great practice.

Speaker 6 (04:08):
I go with your reaction to Elite Neighbors tweet after
the game seem to really call into question.

Speaker 1 (04:14):
No, I actually didn't even see it. I didn't even
see it. So all I know is that I I
really I like the call. I stand by it. I
don't have any regrets about it. You know, I thought
were aggressive trying to go win the.

Speaker 2 (04:25):
Game a player public questioning.

Speaker 3 (04:28):
I'm yeah, I didn't. I didn't see that. I didn't
see the tweet. That's what I didn't see the tweets.
I have my chance.

Speaker 4 (04:35):
You haven't about that at all.

Speaker 2 (04:37):
No, because I haven't seen a player tweet this.

Speaker 1 (04:42):
The beauty of these National Football League is the players are.
These guys have the ability to express themselves. That's the
beauty of the national football players national football you can
express yourself any way you want.

Speaker 3 (04:51):
The beauty of it is.

Speaker 1 (04:52):
And I think any player, like I think they're they're
going to go out there and they're gonna make you.

Speaker 3 (04:56):
Know, have a have an opinion of what they like
to see.

Speaker 1 (04:59):
But at the end of the day, you know, those
are those are the calls we gotta make on game day,
and those are calls we gotta make for the betterment
of the team.

Speaker 6 (05:04):
So as a coach, you don't have an issue with
the player publicly basically saying you felt like you guys
trying to lose the game by how bad.

Speaker 2 (05:10):
I didn't see.

Speaker 1 (05:11):
I didn't see what he said, so I don't I
don't necessarily have a comment on it. But I just
I think players can be you know, obviously, they can
respond any way they want to anything they want. But
if it's something that's detrimental to the team, will address
it in the house and talk through it and move on.

Speaker 6 (05:28):
Did you talk to Anigborus about that or did you
talk would you talk to a player, would you call
him in.

Speaker 3 (05:33):
Yeah, yeah, right, things happened. Yeah, we talked about it,
communicate like we always do. Jackson's a full today.

Speaker 7 (05:41):
You said, does he expect to go to see the
independent neurologists after.

Speaker 1 (05:46):
Or that's I mean, that's what whatever the doctors have
plan in terms of the protocol.

Speaker 3 (05:50):
But he'll be full today. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (05:52):
Did he see the independent neurologists last week?

Speaker 5 (05:54):
And that was the person who did not clear him,
did not get to that step.

Speaker 3 (05:59):
No, he you know, he's working through it.

Speaker 1 (06:01):
Yeah, and again he saw the doctors that the doctors
they need to see last week, and they'll see the
doctors that he needs to see this week and just
continue to keep on progressing through.

Speaker 8 (06:10):
Mike, how do you approach today? Isn't an extra day?
I know you're giving them off tomorrow, so it's never
a throwaway day, But do you adjust your schedule accordingly
with Thanksgiving tomorrow and then coming back on Friday.

Speaker 1 (06:23):
Yeah, we got fortunate enough to be playing on Monday,
so we bought it extra day at the end of
the week. So it just felt right to get the
guys off on Thursday, come back on a Friday, and
kind of be back.

Speaker 3 (06:33):
Right into the routine.

Speaker 5 (06:35):
Does the fact that you have a bye week play
into the Jackson equation at all going forward here in
terms of in terms of what it would theoretically provide
if he doesn't play this week, two weeks more to
rest and you know, get right.

Speaker 1 (06:52):
Rather yeah, I would just say lean on, lean on
the professional opinions of the doctors and where they're at.
But if he's ready to play, like this, any player,
if they're ready to play, then you know, we have
a planform, then we'll put him in.

Speaker 2 (07:02):
He's seen one day evolve just from his start.

Speaker 4 (07:05):
I'm curious with how he played Sunday and kind of
how he played the season. What's been the biggest.

Speaker 3 (07:09):
Impressive, the most impressed I think he's been able to
do this year to show what he can do.

Speaker 1 (07:12):
Yeah, I think I really I really like how Wondale
has been able to transform from primarily being a slot
to now he's getting outside and having a lot of
opportunities as a perimeter receiver and down the field.

Speaker 3 (07:21):
You know, you saw that in his college tape.

Speaker 1 (07:23):
We always you know, we always had a feel that
he could do that, and then to watch him really
kind of blossom into that, you know, at this at
this part of his career has been cool and he's
made it took advantage of those opportunities.

Speaker 8 (07:32):
That doesn't always happen though, Mike Right, I mean guys
saying yeah, I showed this in college. You know, give
me a chance, let me go outside, and then it
doesn't happen, either the opportunity doesn't come or where the
guy doesn't take advantage of it. Can you point to
anything from Wandell that you saw that breakthrough happening and saying,
you know what, we got.

Speaker 3 (07:48):
To do this more and more.

Speaker 1 (07:50):
No, that Wandell's a team guy, you know, and he's
he'll do anything that helps the team, whether it's playing inside,
whether it's playing outside. This year we asked him play
a little bit more outside receiver. He jumped at the
bit and just work and work and work the whole
entire offseason, and then when the opportunities came up, he's
taking advantage of them.

Speaker 2 (08:06):
Is an elite reving here.

Speaker 4 (08:07):
Still, it's been like the first few days with Charlie
taking it over.

Speaker 5 (08:15):
And how much do you expect there to be noticeable,
you know, tangible changes when people look at the defense.

Speaker 1 (08:22):
Yeah, No, Charlie's Charlie's done a really nice job of
getting everyone together, getting one on the same page. Really
a couple of good walkthroughs yesterday and today and just
you know, look just talking with the staff and just
the kind of the cohesion of how the responsibilities are
kind of being spread out.

Speaker 3 (08:36):
It's been pretty cool to see. And Charlie's doing a
nice child leading that group.

Speaker 2 (08:41):
The leak wasn't the only one kind of critical of
your play.

Speaker 7 (08:44):
Cool and part from you heard the President of the
United States have some thoughts about it.

Speaker 1 (08:49):
When is that, yeah, this is then this is one
of the coolest things that I mean just for me
be in this position. You get the opportunity to make
tough calls like and that's that's for me, that's awesome.
I love it, And like you get it down into
the down the wire two minute end of game when
you got to make a tough call like that's where

(09:10):
to me, I feel like that's that's a huge responsibility
and something I enjoy doing, like being that point person
to do that. So you know, everyone's gonna have an opinion,
that's okay, that's okay. I'm gonna do the best I
can for myself for the team first, give us an
opportunity to win the game, and whatever that call whatever,
whoever it was, a player, a coach, my aunt and uncle,

(09:30):
my dad, Like, I got hurt it from everybody, so
and that's okay. They can have their opinions and I
respect that, but I'm gonna do what's best for the team.
Try to do it's best for the team, whether it's
winning the game on the last play of the game,
being aggressive, going for two. If we get an opportunity,
whatever that situation is, that's where we gotta thrive. And
that's where we got to turn the table in terms
of our in terms of our team, is when it's

(09:52):
nutgunn time, when it's time down at the end of
the game, we got to make a play. We're gonna
be aggressive to go make the play to win it.
And I want our guys thinking that way. I don't
want our guys thinking like, hey, you know, we should
do this or do that, Like, let's go win it.
And that's that's going to be our mentality. So when
we get down there, that's that's really how we're prepping,
that's how we're practicing, and that's how we're talking with
the players. That's that's our that's our language that we're

(10:14):
using across really the organization and across the team.
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