As NFL insider Adam Schefter alluded to on his podcast, “The Adam Schefter Podcast,” there were seemingly a lot of rumors surrounding Eric Bieniemy and his future and whether or not he’d continue on as the offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Bieniemy, who was snubbed for a head coaching position for yet another offseason, was recently officially named the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator of the Washington Commanders. A new-found responsibility for Bieniemy, who was able to address the question on Schefter’s podcast.
Eric Bieniemy discussed his departure from Kansas City, his arrival in Washington, and how he knew last season would be his final one with the Chiefs.
🎧 https://t.co/V30FCNp1Kd pic.twitter.com/03Bgbfgwki
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 27, 2023
The 53-year-old coordinator said that he knew this past season would be his last in Kansas City.
“Me and coach [Andy Reid] have been talking about this for years,” said Bieniemy. “He was like, ‘EB, I don’t want to feel like I’m holding you back and I said, ‘Coach, you’re not holding me back because this is a special place.’”
According to Bieniemy, Reid told him that he didn’t have to leave.
“He’s always wanted me to stick around,” Bieniemy said of Kansas City’s head coach. “That’s the thing about him. I was always welcome to come back, but he knows me. ‘Eric is always looking for a challenge. Eric is always looking for a journey that’s going to help him seek a different way of doing things,’ but also helping me to grow…It was a hell of a year. It was a great challenge, but on top of that, it was a lot of fun. Winning that last game [Super Bowl LVII] kind of put the icing on the cake. It was an emotional moment.
“And so, I’ve known for a while, but that was something between me and coach. It was nothing that was discussed with any of our other coaches, OK? It was just us. And the thing about it, I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t a distraction for anyone else. No one else needed to know. I just wanted to make sure that we went about our business the way we do it every single day — without distracting anyone from seeking the prize.”
We’ll have to see how the Eric Bieniemy tenure in Washington plays out.
