Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce reacts to Eric Bieniemy hire — and might have hinted at a return of his own

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce approves of bringing back Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator, but will it be enough to bring him back to K.C. for one more year?

Charles Goldman — NFL Managing Editor
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Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs are expected to bring back Eric Bieniemy for a second stint at offensive coordinator as Matt Nagy seeks new opportunities outside of the organization.

It’s no secret that Bieniemy is highly respected in Kansas City, with star players like Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce making it very clear where they stand when he left the organization in 2023. How do they feel about him upon learning he has returned to the team? We’ll have to wait to hear from Mahomes, but thankfully, Kelce has already voiced his opinion on the matter.

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce is a big fan of the decision to bring back Eric Bieniemy, but is he excited enough to forego retirement?

Speaking to his brother Jason Kelce on their weekly “New Heights Show” podcast, Chiefs TE Travis Kelce reacted to the news that Bieniemy was returning to Kansas City. It should come as no surprise that he could hardly contain his excitement for it.

“I love that shit,” Travis said emphatically. “I think it’s great. I think it’s a marriage that is going to pick up right where it left off. EB and who he is as a coach, you can see kind of his personality, what he brings to this table in that Chicago team. I know Ben Johnson has his own version of that. He’s a very tough guy. And what he did in Detroit, he brought over as well. And you can see those running backs over Chicago, and their body of work was definitely an Eric Bieniemy style of football, man.”

Travis had some of his best seasons under Coach Bieniemy. In fact, he hasn’t gone over 1,000 yards receiving in a single season since he left after recording five straight seasons of over 1,100 yards beginning in 2018, when Bieniemy was promoted to OC the first time around.

Not only did the Chicago running back room scream Bieniemy from a mentality standpoint, but it was infinitely more productive than Kansas City’s room in 2025. D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai were the only running back duo in the NFL to each record 750 or more rushing yards.

“I can’t wait to see him back in the building, man,” Travis continued. “He’s one of my favorite coaches of all time, one of my favorite people of all time. I’ve had so many unbelievable growing moments under him, as a player (and) as a person. And I just love the guy, and it’s going to be awesome to see him back in the building and see him back wearing the Chiefs logo, baby.”

Now, is Travis using ‘see’ in a literal or figurative sense? That’s still to be seen as fans eagerly await his decision on whether he’ll continue playing for a 14th NFL season or hang up his cleats. One would think that a familiar offensive coordinator coming back into the fold in Kansas City would make a decision to return much easier for No. 87.

Are the Chiefs getting the same Eric Bieniemy?

A major criticism of the Bieniemy hire is that he won’t bring in any new ideas. He spent 2023 as the Washington Commanders’ offensive coordinator before making a stop at UCLA and joining the Chicago Bears’ staff as running backs coach in 2025. There, he worked with Ben Johnson, widely regarded as one of the best offensive minds in the NFL after his stint as the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator.

“It’s going to be interesting to see what he learned while with Ben Johnson,” Jason said. “I think he’s probably one of the most creative minds right now, coaching the game on the offensive side of the ball, and to be in a building with that guy. I’d be picking EB’s brain. I’d be like, ‘Yo man, what would you learn? What do you think?’ Then I also like, you know, how has EB changed as a coach?…”

“Who knows? Man, maybe, maybe he’s elevated,” Travis said. “He’s taking his game to new heights in that regard. But it’ll be awesome to see him back with the Chiefs.”

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