The Kansas City Chiefs, alongside Andy Reid, have explored every possible alternative to position themselves as Super Bowl contenders for the next NFL season, and one of the most relevant moves was the addition of Eric Bieniemy, who received praise from Caleb Williams’ head coach with the Chicago Bears.
The latest recognition came from his former team and head coach Ben Johnson, who spoke with reporters during the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
“We’ll miss a ton. The guy’s a phenomenal football coach,” Johnson said. “The coaching staff a year ago, and really similar to this year, included many coaches outside of my circle that I didn’t know very well, so he was really hired through reputation. We had a lot of productive conversations before he decided to come on board.”
The importance of Bieniemy and what he achieved
Bieniemy was a vital member of the Bears’ coaching staff last season as running backs coach, helping the team win the NFC North and advance to the divisional round of the playoffs, contributing his experience while working with young players and sharing development responsibilities with Caleb Williams in offensive execution.
Head coach Ben Johnson of the Chicago Bears
“I was just blown away by the impact he had not only in that position room, D’Andre Swift had probably the best year of his career, and seventh-rounder Kyle Monangai had a hell of a year himself, not just that room but the entire offense. He brings a demanding presence. The standard is the standard with Eric Bieniemy, and those are big shoes to fill.”
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Bieniemy spent nine years as an assistant coach and coordinator with Kansas City before pursuing other opportunities ahead of the 2023 season, which is an added benefit because he understands the team’s identity and is expected to contribute to another championship pursuit.
The move that could strengthen the Chiefs
Making coaching staff moves alone is not enough. While looking to strengthen the roster with another star following Patrick Mahomes’ knee injury, Andy Reid and the Chiefs could consider adding a veteran quarterback as depth during Mahomes’ recovery timeline, with Tua Tagovailoa emerging as a possible option.
According to Bill Barnwell, the Chiefs are viewed as a potential landing spot for Tua Tagovailoa if he becomes available: “Tagovailoa with an upper-middle-class QB contract was a problem. Tagovailoa at the veterans minimum, which is what a new team would likely pay him in 2026, could turn out to be a very useful contributor in the right scheme. It’s also incumbent on Tagovailoa to pick the right landing spot to rebuild his value in advance of potentially landing a starting job in a more advantageous situation in 2027. Could he be the quarterback for the Chiefs in September before Patrick Mahomes returns from his knee injury?”
