Andy Reid says Eric Bieniemy brings ‘different’ energy to the Kansas City Chiefs as offensive coordinator
Eric Bieniemy is back and Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid is fired up about it.
The Kansas City Chiefs made things official with Eric Bieniemy last week, bringing him back for his second stint as offensive coordinator.
Speaking to media members on Monday, Chiefs HC Andy Reid explained the decision to reunite with Bieniemy after he spent three years away from the team. He said that while they spoke to other candidates, the Chiefs moved quickly in their search, given the number of offensive coordinator vacancies around the league. Bieniemy, of course, got his start in Kansas City serving as the team’s running backs coach from 2013 through 2017. He served as offensive coordinator from 2018 through 2022 after Matt Nagy left to become head coach of the Chicago Bears.
“It’s good to get him back in the building,” Reid said of Bieniemy. “And I think we all know the energy that Eric (Bieniemy) brings and what he gives to a football team. So, then he’s coming off a heck of a season with the Chicago Bears. My hat goes off to the Bears and the great job that they did there.”
In some ways, his return to the Chiefs echoes his first stint as offensive coordinator with Nagy leaving in search of greener pastures. But what will be different for Bieniemy this time around?
What will Eric Bieniemy bring to the table as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator this time around?
Accountability is a buzzword often associated with Eric Bieniemy and his time in Kansas City. Anyone who has been out to Missouri Western State University for Chiefs training camp or observed a practice with Bieniemy on the field knows it’s more than that. Coach Reid described it as energy.
“Yeah, I thought Matt (Nagy) brought great energy, too, with his, it’s just it’s different,” Reid said. “They both have their own personalities that they share with it. (Eric Bieniemy is) going to be very direct with the players, very direct with the coaches. And it’s a different flavor. Both have been very productive in this system here. So I think it’s, it’s a win-win for us that way. There’s nobody like EB on the field that way. That’s one of his (strengths), and with the players, he does a great job there.”
Chiefs HC Andy Reid emphasized throughout his press conference that his complimenting Bieniemy wasn’t intended to put down Matt Nagy. However, reading between the lines, it seems like this “different” energy and flavor that Bieniemy brings compared to Nagy is something that the team felt they’ve needed or lacked.
Beyond that, there are more tangible strengths Bieniemy brings as a coach that the team will lean on as they seek to get things on track following a 6-11 season, Reid’s worst record during his tenure as a coach in Kansas City.
“I think he’s got a great knowledge of the offense,” Reid said. “I think he understands leadership. I’ve always said he’s great leader of men, whether it’s coaches (or) players, I think he does a heck of a job there. He’s good with you guys (media). He’s very honest with you, and there’s no hidden agendas. I mean, that’s just his personality.”
Andy Reid will be open to new ideas Eric Bieniemy brings from his time away from the Chiefs
Bieniemy has had a trio of new learning opportunities since leaving Kansas City following the 2022 NFL season. In 2023, he joined the Washington Commanders as assistant head coach & offensive coordinator. After that, Bieniemy transitioned to the college game, serving in the same role at UCLA in 2024. This past year, he settled in as Ben Johnson’s RBs coach with the Bears.
Coach Reid believes that Bieniemy will be able to draw on these experiences, not only to bring new ideas to the team, but also to help him avoid attempting to modify or adapt things in Kansas City that he shouldn’t.
“Yeah, everywhere you go in this business, you pick something up,” Reid explained. “And you might take it with you, or you might say, ‘You know what, I’m not going to do that. I want to do that.’ And at the same time, he’s got all those years in this system, too, so he understands that. So, I welcome that. I always keep my ears and eyes open for things, and that’s why we’re very seldom stagnant.”
Reid knows it’s imperative to change heading into the 2026 NFL season, given that the tried-and-true method didn’t work for his team in 2025.
“And that’s why, even with our record, I felt where I could stand in front of you guys and go, ‘Listen, what worked for us the year before, it just flipped on us. The games we won the year before, they flipped on us this year.’ We didn’t win, and that’s sometimes how this thing works,” Reid continued. “And so now it’s making sure that we get back and correct some things and then get them going in the right direction again. But at the same time, you finish, and you’re looking at being in the top 10, offensively. I mean, before Pat (Mahomes) gets hurt, or even after the Dallas game, which didn’t go our way. I mean, here’s Matt (Nagy) with a top-five offense, you know, in a lot of categories in the NFL, so I respect that part. This game, we’re seeing it now. When you look at the playoffs, I mean, these games are nip and tuck, baby. If you miss a play here or there, you’re gonna lose the game. And so all those games that were so tight for us this year, we’ve got to fix and clean that up, guys.”
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