Walker opened up during his introductory press conference about Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy‘s coaching approach. “He intense, yeah, yeah, yeah. The more he talk about it the more intense he gets,” said Walker. “It’s been cool, but you want a person like that who’s real passionate about the game, so I’m excited to get to work with him.”

Kansas City signed Walker to a maximum of $45,000,000 over three years, with $28,700,000 of his contract fully guaranteed at signing. It is a major acquisition that carries significant expectations.

Walker’s feelings about the team

Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker spoke to reporters on Thursday at his introductory press conference, revealing his feelings about the team pursuing him early during free agency. He acknowledged that Kansas City’s consistent success played a major role in his decision to join the organization.

“Winning coaching. Watching over the years, been to plenty of Super Bowls, and you know, they know how to win. So, I felt like it’s a great fit for me,” said Walker, who appreciated being targeted early by Kansas City. “It means a lot, you feel appreciated and wanted, that’s what everybody wants. So, I’m just happy to get in here and be able to get to know the guys and work.”

The Chiefs are aiming to remain contenders next NFL season, and their activity during this period reflects that ambition. The return of Travis Kelce adds another important piece, and the offense will once again rely heavily on the presence of Patrick Mahomes as its centerpiece.

Walker’s numbers

During the 2025 season, Walker rushed for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns. He also contributed in the passing game with 31 receptions for 282 yards for the Seattle Seahawks, who finished atop the NFC during the regular season.

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.

“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.”

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?”

Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy spoke to reporters via Zoom during his introductory press conference, sharing his vision for revitalizing the running game following the struggles of the 2025 season. He emphasized collaboration within the coaching staff and the importance of building the right structure around the roster to maximize production on offense.

“First and foremost, we obviously have a tremendous staff. With Head Coach Andy Reid, we are going to figure out what things we need to do moving forward as far as making sure we are getting the right people in the building,” Bieniemy said. “When it is all said and done, we are going to make sure that we can do the things that we do best.”

“We have one of the better offensive line coaches in the industry in Andy Heck,” Bieniemy added. “He does an outstanding job with those guys up front and just making sure we are doing the things that help us move forward. I have been exposed to a number of run schemes, but at the end of the day we have to make sure we are doing what is best for us. That is the overall plan.”

Bieniemy’s impact could be crucial

Kansas City’s running game lacked explosiveness throughout the season, largely due to injuries, and big plays from the backfield were limited. Bieniemy previously served as part of the Chicago Bears’ coaching staff as running backs coach, where the Bears captured the NFC North, strengthening his résumé as a developer of ground attacks.

In addition, the Chiefs still rely on key contributors who can help elevate the rushing unit. Kareem Hunt led the team with 611 rushing yards, while Isiah Pacheco followed with 462 yards. Rookie running back Brashard Smith added 151 yards on the ground and also emerged as a versatile receiving option out of the backfield, providing flexibility to the offensive scheme.

Chiefs’ new coaching addition

The Chiefs continue preparing for the next season with further additions to Andy Reid’s staff. According to a report from Pete Thamel, longtime college football coach C.J. Cox is expected to join the organization as a quality control coach focused on defensive backs for the 2026 NFL season.

Kansas City is aiming to bounce back after falling short of a Super Bowl return in 2025. Much of their outlook still depends on quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his recovery from a knee injury, as the Chiefs attempt to reestablish themselves among the NFL‘s AFC contenders.

Per Charles Goldman of AtoZSports, Andy Reid says he will still be the one calling plays, but Reid also said he would delegate every now and then. “I’ve always mixed and matched there, and it has always been fairly productive,” Reid said.

We’ve seen this before, as in Super Bowl LIV, it was Bieniemy the one who called ‘Wasp’ after a talk with Patrick Mahomes. That sparked the comeback from a 10-point deficit against the 49ers.

Bieniemy and Reid are a simbiotic relationship

There’s no denying that Bieniemy is the one most benefitted from this relationship. Andy Reid’s legacy is set in stone, he is one of the best head coaches of all time. However, both parts are better with each other. Andy Reid was always regarded as the top coach who couldn’t win the big one, until Bieniemy came along and helped him get over the hump.

As for Bieniemy, everyone craved the day he left KC as he was supposed to be the next big offensive head coach. However, it didn’t pan out that way. He went to the Washington Commanders as an OC and was relieved after only one year. He went to UCLA as the OC for a year, and in 2025, he was the Bears running backs coach. Hence, Bieniemy post-Chiefs hasn’t been as much of a household name as many expected. Being back with Reid and Mahomes is the best for his career.

We can expect “Mahomes’ Magic” once again

The most magical, unstoppable version of Patrick Mahomes was with Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator. Under Bieniemy, Mahomes won his two MVPs, had two 5,000-yard seasons, and led the league in passing TDs twice. During the five seasons where they worked together, Mahomes had a passer rating of 105 or better in four of them.

Mahomes never threw for less than 4,000 yards with Bieniemy, he did it twice in three years with Matt Nagy. Under Bieniemy’s playbook, Mahomes sent 37+ passing touchdowns in four of five years. With Nagy, Mahomes never cracked 30 touchdowns. We could see Mahomes’ best play come back if he recovers properly from the ACL tear he suffered in 2025.

Travis Kelce asked Patrick Mahomes who was his best friend on the team and he only could pick one. Mahomes answer was simple: “Eric Bieniemy.” Now, everyone expected him to say Kelce, after all they even have a porterhouse together. Instead of getting mad, Kelce said it was a good one, and as the cherry on top, he said, “Running this thing like Eric Bieniemy’s back.”

Obviously a skit, Mahomes and Kelce are in fact real best friends. But, what is true is they are both clearly happy to see Bieniemy back as the team’s offensive coordinator. Under him, they both had career years.

What does the Bieniemy hire mean for Kelce?

Travis Kelce’s future was up in the air. It was rumored that he’d might be retiring after this season. However, it seems he might delay his retirement thanks to Bieniemy’s return. Bieniemy has the character and creativity to bring positivism back into a team that saw plenty of setbacks this season.

With Bieniemy as OC, the Chiefs ranked first three times, third, and sixth in total yards. Then Matt Nagy came, and the offense dipped, ranking ninth, 17th, and 20th in his tenure. While Andy Reid is calling the plays, this still means the coordinator is important for the offense to click. It seems like Kelce knows it, and he might think a career-resurgence could be brewing.

The Chiefs need Bieniemy to be the answer

The Chiefs are desperate to get back in Super Bowl contention. After all, they spent from 2018 to 2024 at least going to the Conference Final. This year they didn’t even get to the playoffs, hence they want to avoid the end of their dynasty.

If Bieniemy doesn’t solve the problem on offense, then that means the Chiefs offense is severely undertalented. That’s also something that has been talked about. Hence, the Chiefs really trust Bieniemy can turn things around, or else they will have to compromise themselves looking for weapons.

Patrick Mahomeswon his secondNFL MVP Awardand, even with an ankle injury, delivered a performance for the ages in theSuper Bowlto beat thePhiladelphia Eagles. The Chiefs were down 24-14 at halftime but, as it happened three years ago inSuper Bowl LIVagainst the49ers,they erased a double-digit deficit to hoist the Vince Lombardi trophy.

However, in a huge hit for the franchise,Patrick Mahomesand theKansas City Chiefs just lost a key member who was crucial for their success. Check out all the details about this major coaching change.

Eric Bieniemy leaves the Chiefs to sign with the Washington Commanders

As an offensive coordinator with theChiefssince 2018,Eric Bieniemyhas been a key piece for the success of the team. He waspractically the most trusted man by head coachAndy Reidand Bieniemy developed the most powerful offense that the NFL has seen in decades.

Now, after many years searching for a big opportunity thanks to a great run with theChiefs,Eric Bieniemyis ready to make a huge change. The Washington Commanders officially announced they’ve reached and agreement with Bieniemy for him to be an assistant coach and the offensive coordinator for the team.

At the moment, Eric Bieniemy won’t be the head coach of a NFL team. Rather, he wouldassume the offensive coordinator role in Ron Rivera’s staff. Many experts believe he didn’t recieve a chance to lead a franchise, because the play calling with the Chiefs passed inevitably through Andy Reid.

Of course, many people wonder why Eric Bieniemy would leave all the success with the Kansas City Chiefs for the same position in a struggling team like Washington. All the information points out that Bieniemy would get a major increase in his salary as the best coordinator available in the NFL.

If Eric Bieniemy revamps the Washington Commanders’ offense, sooner than later the head coaching offer would come. The main reason would be the total independence in the play calling setting himself apart from Andy Reid’s system. It seems that the 53-year old coach believed the opportunitywon’t come if he stayed with the Kansas City Chiefs.

As an offensive coordinator with the Chiefs since 2018, Eric Bieniemy has been a key piece for the success of the team. He is practically the most trusted man by head coach Andy Reid and Bieniemy has developed the most powerful offense that the NFL has seen in decades.

Now, after many years searching for a big opportunity thanks to a great run with the Chiefs, Eric Bieniemyis ready to make a huge change. Read here to find out all the details about what’s ahead for Bieniemy with the Washington Commanders.

Eric Bieniemy is new offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders officially announced they’ve reached and agreement with Eric Bieniemy for him to be an assistant coach and the offensive coordinator for the team.

At the moment, Eric Bieniemy won’t be the head coach of a NFL team. Rather, he wouldassume the offensive coordinator role in Ron Rivera’s staff. Many experts believe he didn’t recieve an opportunity to lead a franchise, because the play calling with the Chiefs passed inevitably through Andy Reid.

Of course, many people wonder why Eric Bieniemy would leave all the success with the Kansas City Chiefs for the same position in a struggling team like Washington. All the information points out that Bieniemy would get a major increase in his salary as the best coordinator available in the NFL.

Furthermore, if Eric Bieniemy revamps the Washington Commanders’ offense, sooner than later the head coaching offer would come. The main reason would be the total independence in the play calling setting himself apart from Andy Reid’s system.

Unlikethe previousweeks, Patrick Mahomes and the offense struggled to get things going. The star quarterback didn’t seem to be pleased with the play-calling, especially at the end of the second quarter.

After running the clock instead of attempting to reach the field goal range, the cameras captured Mahomes and Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy having an argument when the team was heading to the locker room.

Patrick Mahomes opens up on exchange with Eric Bieniemy

“I mean, at the end of the day I wanted to go try to score. I mean, that’s just who I am,” Mahomes said postgame, via Jeff Kerr ofCBS Sports. “We were in a tough situation. Probably the smart decision was to just take — we got the ball at the half and just go to halftime, but I’m always going to be wanting to score.

“I pretty much just said, ‘Let me have a chance at it,’ and then he was just, like, ‘Let’s get back in the locker room and we’ll get something going for the next half.’ I guess, I don’t know if that’s an altercation, but that was the end of the conversation.”

Mahomes takes blame for Chiefs’ first loss of the season

However, that doesn’t mean that Mahomes didn’t take responsibility for the team’s loss. In the contrary, the Chiefs quarterback said the defeat it’s on him for failing to produce more points.

“It starts with me,” Mahomes said. “There were certain throws that I was putting on guy’s back hips instead of in front of them. There were certain situations where we were just barely off. If it was a D-lineman that got around my feet, and I missed Justin Watson or if it was a throw at the end of the game where I could have maybe put it in front of JuJu (Smith-Schuster) and it gets tipped up for a pick, it’s little things like that.

“Whenever you are playing a tough game like that, you have to execute at a higher level, and we have to learn from it. Our schedule gets no easier. We have a hard game next week against a great defense. We have to get better quickly.If we don’t, well, we don’t want these L’s to start piling up. We want to make sure we get back on that winning train.”

The Chiefs certainly didn’t expect to return from Indianapolis empty-handed, but now they have to turn the page. A tough game awaitsthem on Sunday night, when they visit Tom Brady and the Buccaneersin Tampa Bay.