Kansas City Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy rejoins the team at training camp in St. Joe after his wife’s hospitalization
Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is officially back with the team after leaving to be with his wife following her hospitalization.
Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has rejoined the team in St. Joseph, Missouri, at Missouri Western State University as training camp continues.
The return comes after Bieniemy left the club in late July to return home to Virginia, where his wife was allegedly shot by the couple’s son, Elijah Bieniemy. Mia Bieniemy’s status has been trending upward in each of the updates provided by the team, and the Chiefs have maintained that there has been no timeline for Bieniemy’s return.
Coach Bieniemy participated from afar in the team’s training camp practices, viewing practice via livestream and reviewing tape afterward. He also sat in on team meetings via Zoom. He provided feedback to coach Andy Reid, passing game coordinator Joe Bleymaier, and offensive line coach Andy Heck while away taking care of his wife and his family.
Bieniemy was spotted coming down the hill to the practice field on Monday, Aug. 10. Voice of the Chiefs Mitch Holthus stopped him along the way for a long embrace, as captured by Chiefs Digest’s Matt Derrick.
Bieniemy returns just five days prior to Kansas City’s first preseason game, which should raise the intensity level in practice and allow the team some strong sessions Monday through Thursday.
Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes on Bieniemy’s return
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes spoke about Coach Bieniemy last week on the final day of practice.
“Yeah, first off, prayers to him and his family,” Mahomes said. “And Miss Bieniemy, I hope she’s doing better now. So, it’s always great to hear the news from him about her, and it’s been good to talk to him. He’s been Zooming in; he’s been live streaming. I mean, he’s still EB, it’s not like he’s not EB. And so he’s calling you at the end of the night and talking to you about kind of throughout the day and all the plays and stuff like that. So We’ll be excited to get him back, but at the same time, we want him to take as much time as he needs to be with his family. But when he does come back, he’ll be the most excited guy on the football field.”
Bieniemy returned to the Chiefs this offseason in the offensive coordinator role after previously serving in the same capacity from 2018 through 2022. He also served as the team’s running backs coach from 2013 through 2017. The veteran coach spent last season as the running backs coach for the Chicago Bears, and this season he brings with him new ideas, new flair, and that same Eric Bieniemy mentality.
That mentality makes it no surprise he is back at training camp as quickly as he is. He likes to chop wood, and sure enough, they’ll be chopping wood at the next four days of practice.
