Andy Reid is bringing back the offensive coordinator credited with the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive prowess. On Friday, the team officially confirmed its agreement with Eric Bieniemy.
Bieniemy is set to resume his role as Kansas City’s offensive coordinator, succeeding Matt Nagy.
Nagy, whose contract with the Chiefs was nearing its end, had been mentioned as a top contender for the head coaching position with the Tennessee Titans; however, Robert Saleh eventually secured that role.
Following his three-year tenure in Kansas City, Nagy reportedly interviewed for the offensive coordinator vacancy with the Philadelphia Eagles on Wednesday, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Regarding Bieniemy, his prior service as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator spanned from 2018 to 2022, a period during which he assisted two-time NFL MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes in securing two of his three Super Bowl victories.
Bieniemy was a member of Reid’s initial Chiefs coaching team in 2013, beginning as the running backs coach for five seasons before being elevated to the offensive coordinator role.
Bieniemy directed Kansas City’s offensive unit throughout Patrick Mahomes’ initial five seasons as the primary starting quarterback. During this stretch, the Chiefs posted average points per game of 35.3 in 2018, 28.2 in 2019, 29.6 in 2020, 28.2 in 2021, and 29.2 in 2022. Across these years, they consistently ranked among the league’s top six in scoring, achieving the top spot twice.
To put this in perspective, Kansas City has not achieved an average of over 22.6 points per game in any season since that period.
With Bieniemy overseeing the offense, Mahomes demonstrated immediate success. His first complete season saw him achieve a personal best of 50 touchdown passes. Besides their Super Bowl victories in the 2019 and 2022 seasons, the Chiefs also reached the championship game in 2020, ultimately falling to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Despite consistently being a popular candidate during the NFL’s head coaching hiring cycles, Bieniemy never secured such a position. In 2023, he departed Kansas City to become the offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders. However, his tenure in Washington was brief, as most of Ron Rivera’s coaching staff was replaced after Dan Quinn assumed leadership the subsequent season.
Bieniemy then moved to UCLA, but his time there lasted only a single season, with the Bruins managing an average of just 18.4 points per game and finishing 5-7 overall, including a 3-6 record in Big Ten play. He rejoined the NFL prior to the current season, taking on the role of running backs coach for the Chicago Bears. Bieniemy guided a backfield that featured a 1,000-yard rusher in D’Andre Swift and showcased promising rookie Kyle Monangai, who accumulated 783 rushing yards and five touchdowns as the Bears saw improved performance.
Collectively, Chicago achieved the third-highest average for rushing yards per game this season, at 144.5.
Bieniemy is now set to apply insights gained from Ben Johnson’s methodology, with the responsibility of assisting a Chiefs offense that is keenly seeking renewed innovation.
Kansas City stood 25th in rushing performance, and for the third consecutive season, Mahomes averaged under 265 passing yards per contest. The Chiefs require improvements in their wide receiver corps.
The return to health of their offensive line will be beneficial. Mahomes also needs to complete his recovery from a torn ACL successfully.
Nevertheless, reducing penalties and devising novel strategies to surprise opposing defenses will also be crucial for Bieniemy in supporting Reid, aiming for Kansas City to rekindle its explosive offensive displays.
