Commanders Land Kansas City Offensive Coordinator Bieniemy: Sources

The Commanders made their biggest move of the offseason, and it isn’t the sale of the franchise.

Sources say Washington will soon finalize Eric Bieniemy as their new offensive coordinator and play caller. Fresh off a second Super Bowl win in Kansas City, Bieniemy might be the hottest name in the NFL after the comeback championship win over the Eagles.

In the minutes after the game, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that Bieniemy was “phenomenal” guiding Kansas City to their comeback win. NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City’s star quarterback, spoke glowingly of Bieniemy in the locker room after the game, explaining that the coach makes the quarterback a better player every day, challenging and demanding greatness.

And somehow, someway, Ron Rivera just landed Bieniemy in Ashburn, Virginia.

In an offseason where the sale of the franchise remains the biggest question mark, Rivera might not have many options for a big splash. With uncertainty about ownership, it’s hard to picture the Commanders being major players in free agency or even major trades so a big-name coaching hire might be as good as it gets.

It’s an easy claim to suggest Bieniemy is as good as it gets too.

Since Bieniemy took over as Chiefs offensive coordinator in 2018, Kansas City has appeared in three Super Bowls, won two and featured the top yardage offense in the NFL in 2018, 2020 and 2022. With Bieniemy as offensive coordinator the Chiefs offense has never ranked lower than 6th in the NFL in points scored and twice landed as the top scoring NFL offense (2018, 2022).

Perhaps even more impressive, this past season Kansas City finished with the NFL’s best offense and that came after trading away All Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill. The Chiefs had to overhaul their offense, requiring more formations and more creativity, to match with Mahomes and All Pro tight end Travis Kelce.

Let’s not pretend Bieniemy did not get to work with elite talent in Kansas City, particularly Mahomes and Kelce and an offensive genius like Reid, but let’s not pretend Bieniemy had no role either.

Some will ask, if Bieniemy is so good, why come to Washington?

While some skepticism might be warranted, consider this: In Kansas City most of the credit and accolades for the offensive fireworks went to Reid and Mahomes. Or Kelce. Or Hill when he was there.

Rarely was Bieniemy talked about for his contributions to a juggernaut offensive attack. While internally Mahomes and Reid credited the man they call “EB” the outside world saw a different picture.

Bieniemy interviewed for head coaching jobs, but never got offers. There are plenty of reasons for that to raise eyebrows, but eventually, maybe he needs to prove his prowess away from the future Hall of Famers in Reid and Mahomes.

In Washington, EB gets just that opportunity.

Despite a strong group of wideouts in Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel and solid running backs in Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson, Washington hasn’t finished higher than 20th in yards gained since 2017. That’s five straight seasons firmly in the bottom half of the league offensively, and some of those were bottom five.

Bieniemy takes over a Commanders offense in need of an offensive line overhaul and with the plan to start a second-year QB in Sam Howell with 11 career NFL completions. Mahomes typically does that in a quarter.

Howell has talent, but he also slipped to the fifth-round of the 2022 NFL Draft. There are questions about his ability to handle pro defenses, though in limited work in Week 18, Howell looked like an encouraging prospect.

If Bieniemy can make things work in Washington, or really just show incremental improvement, that may be the sign to the rest of the league he deserves the head coaching job. Add in the tenuous future for the coaching staff as a whole with the Commanders could provide fast-track an opportunity.

Add in that Bieniemy gets an increased workload - primary play caller, associate head coach - as well as some control in the offensive staff, and even the skeptics can start to see why he wanted the gig.

Olympic divers are taught from a young age not to make a splash. It shows control.

For Ron Rivera, whether he wants to make a splash or not, there might not be many coming until ownership settles.

Hiring Bieniemy might be the Commanders' high-dive cannonball of the 2023 offseason.