Giants’ Mike Kafka gets play-calling tryout in OTAs

For now, Mike Kafka is the offensive play-caller for the Giants — now being the organized team activity sessions this spring.

It is Kafka, the first-year offensive coordinator, who is making the calls to the quarterbacks in these practices. Perhaps it is an audition, with head coach Brian Daboll watching intently to see if the 34-year-old Kafka is up to the task. Kafka is in his sixth year as a coach — the past five with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs — and has never before called plays, as Andy Reid handled that assignment in Kansas City.

“We’ll let Dabes evaluate that, and he has every right to evaluate how he wants to handle that,’’ Kafka said Thursday.

A former starting quarterback at Northwestern and a backup, mostly on practice squads, for seven NFL teams, Kafka was somewhat of a surprise choice by Daboll, given that the two had no previous connection — other than Kafka spent a few months in the 2013 offseason with the Patriots when Daboll was the tight ends coach in New England.

“We never worked together or had a close relationship but had a lot of respect for what he did with Patrick, and obviously the system they used at Kansas City was an explosive system, spread the field, get your playmakers in space, and that’s the type of offense that I subscribe to,’’ Daboll said.

Kafka said “of course’’ when asked if he would like to call the plays on offense at some point in his career.

“I think every offensive coordinator aspires to call plays, so yes,’’ he said.

Daboll was the offensive coordinator in Buffalo and has extensive experience as a play-caller. Often, former coordinators find it difficult to hand over the keys to their offense for someone else to drive. Daboll has not said what he will do moving forward into the season.

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Kafka believes he is ready.

“You have to have a feel for the game, understand what your players do best, put them in a good spot to be successful, understanding what the defense is presenting you and how you can attack it,” he said. “So it’s kind of all encompassing.’’