Eric Bieniemy makes sure to give Ben Johnson his flowers and praises what the Bears are building after his lone season in Chicago
The Chicago Bears are building something special from the top down.
The Chicago Bears had a strong run during the 2025-26 season after making it to the NFC’s Divisional Round in the playoffs during the first season under first-year head coach Ben Johnson.
Rightfully, Johnson was nominated as one of the finalists for the AP Coach of the Year award which will be announced at the NFL Honors on Feb. 5 ahead of Super Bowl LX. While his name is on the ballot, it’s an award that speaks to the entire coaching staff and Johnson constructed a top-notch group this past season.
A testament to that can be seen from the outside interest in Johnson’s assistants, with one assistant coach in Eric Bieniemy already landing a new promotion after being hired as the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs hours after the Bears were eliminated from the playoffs.
Bieniemy details process of re-joining the Chiefs, has high praise for the Bears organization
“To be quite honest, it just happened,” Bieniemy explained about landing his new role in Kansas City. “We were playing in the playoffs and unfortunately we came up short. The next day I got a phone call, Big Red [Chiefs head coach Andy Reid] is calling. Obviously, there were some tough conversations [I was] having with the head coach and with our players.”
It just goes to show how fast things move in the NFL world. The Bears are now in the process of finding Bieniemy’s replacement as the team’s running backs coach on Johnson’s staff for the 2026 season in hopes of building off that success.
Bieniemy spent just one season in Chicago and working alongside Johnson, but you can tell this experience had a lasting impact on his coaching career.
“It was great having that opportunity to work in Chicago,” Bieniemy added. “Great having that opportunity to work with Coach Ben Johnson, who is a helluva coach who’s going to have a great deal of success as well. It was great having that opportunity working with that organization. But, having this opportunity to come back and be put in this chair with Coach Reid, that was just something that it’s tough to pass on.”
It’s hard to fault Bieniemy for making that decision. He has familiarity in Kansas City with the staff and players there in the building after previously holding the same position from 2018-2021. And when a coach like Andy Reid calls with that kind of offer, you gotta take it.
At the same time, Bieniemy did some great work in Chicago and was an invaluable resource to have on the staff leading the running back position. D’Andre Swift set career-highs in rushing yards and rushing TDs while seventh-round rookie Kyle Monangai proved to be one of the top backs in his class. The success that one-two punch had this season wouldn’t have been possible without Bieniemy.
Bieniemy’s praise for the organization went well beyond the team’s head coach as well, shouting out George McCaskey, Kevin Warren, Ted Crews, and Ryan Poles, showing the Bears entire organization is building something special from the top down.
“That was a great run, a great season,” Bieniemy said. “You’re talking about great people, a great organization, and it felt like home. That was the beauty of it. It was real real tough making this decision but it was an opportunity to come home, and it was like leaving home. But, if Big Red picks up the phone, that’s the only person where you’ll say it may be time to return home because he’s giving me this opportunity.”
I’m sure everyone in Chicago, including myself, wishes Bieniemy nothing but the best in this next chapter with the Chiefs. And now the Bears will be tasked with replacing a great coach for his role.
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