With Matt Nagy out the door, the Kansas City Chiefs have hired Eric Bieniemy as their new offensive coordinator.
The team confirmed the news on Friday:
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero first reported the deal.
Bieniemy spent the 2025 NFL season as the running backs coach for the Chicago Bears, who were eliminated by the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round on Sunday.
Bieniemy was previously Kansas City’s offensive coordinator for five seasons. During that time, the offense never finished worse than sixth in points or yards. By the time the retired running back left, the Chiefs were No. 1 in both categories.
Some fans might be a little lukewarm toward his return, though.
The fact Bieniemy couldn’t land a head-coaching job was puzzling to many when Nagy and Doug Pederson parlayed their OC tenures in Kansas City into a promotion elsewhere. His fortunes since leaving the Chiefs may point to why he couldn’t gain any traction.
Bieniemy lasted one season as offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders in 2023, and his time at UCLA was equally brief. His methods simply didn’t connect in the way they had within the Chiefs’ structure.
Beyond that, fans will likely argue this is the time for head coach Andy Reid to look outside the family and embrace new ideas.
A once-electric offense has begun to look a little stale. The unit ranked 20th in yards (320.6 per game) and 21st in scoring (21.3 points).
Pivoting from one former OC to another risks losing even more of an edge. The tactics that worked for Bieniemy in 2022 might not be as effective in 2026. Football can evolve a lot across just three seasons.
Bieniemy’s familiarity with players still around the offense could be a strength, however, and his rapport with the head coach isn’t in doubt.
With the reunion official, it’s going to put even more pressure on Reid to win. Missing the playoffs again in 2026 would strengthen the idea that the Chiefs, regardless of how much recent success they had, could use a new voice on the sideline.
