The Kansas City Chiefs have shown no signs of fixing things offensively with their in-house personnel. But what if they added some help in-season, specifically to the coaching staff? Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wonders if the Chiefs would re-hire former offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy if he’s fired by the Washington Commanders after the regular season.
“Bieniemy might be the one the Chiefs need. If he becomes available after Week 18, the Chiefs should consider bringing him back in an effort to get things back to the way they’ve been,” Florio wrote on December 26.
Florio noted that even if Kansas City doesn’t want to add to its staff in-season, the team should still consider re-hiring Bieniemy next offseason, as there appears to be a link between his departure and the offense’s struggles.
“Regardless of whether he’s able to return as a consultant for the postseason, the Chiefs should consider whether Bieniemy needs to be back as the offensive coordinator for 2024, if (once again) he doesn’t get a head-coaching job and doesn’t land elsewhere as a coordinator,” Florio continued.
“Whatever they do, the Chiefs need to do something. Mahomes wants to eventually get to as close to seven championships as possible. Something needs to dramatically change before he’ll get a chance to get to No. 3.”
Is Eric Bieniemy KC’s Missing Link?
Bieniemy’s ability to hold players accountable is something Kansas City needs this season, as many of the offense’s struggles are tied to mental errors, whether it’s drops, penalties, or not being on the same page as quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy is in part to blame for the way the offense has performed this season. But it’s hard to determine how much blame can be put on his shoulders, as many of the issues with the offense stem from individual performances and not so much the scheme/play-calling (though there is room for improvement there as well).
Regardless of who is to blame, personnel changes need to take place, whether it’s by adding and/or subtracting players, coaches, or both. The question that remains is if the defending Super Bowl champions will wait until the offseason to make those changes or will start before the 2023 season concludes.
Twitter/X Reacts to Mike Florio’s Pitch
Users on X, formerly Twitter, reacted to Mike Florio’s pitch regarding the Chiefs potentially re-hiring Bieniemy.
“If Eric Bieniemy’s departure is truly the reason why we have taken a step back, why are we just blaming Nagy? Wouldn’t 50% of that blame fall on Andy Reid as well?” one user asked.
“KC misses a competent left tackle and any receiver that can reliably catch the football. I don’t think that has anything to do with the OC. I’m sure Andy Reid has a major influence over play calling,” another user wrote.
“Eric Bienemy will not leave Washington to go to KC to be OC again,” another user wrote. “He will more than likely be the new HC in Washington after Riverboat Ron gets fired. KC messed up when they let him leave to begin with.”
