KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Eric Bieniemy spoke to the media for the first time since his return to the Kansas City Chiefs as Offensive Coordinator was announced.
“I feel like a kid in a candy store. I don’t know if you can hear the nervous energy in my voice of just excitement,” he said about his return.
Bieniemy said Chicago felt like home in his time as Running Backs Coach with the Bears, but a phone call from Andy Reid made him realize where home truly was. He added that it was a pretty fast process.
“You talk about great people, a great organization and it felt like home and that was the beauty of it. It was real, real tough making this decision, but it was an opportunity to come home, and it was like leaving home. If Big Red ever picks up the phone, that’s the only person you’ll say, ‘Hey, you know what, it might be time to return home,’ because he’s given me this opportunity,” he said about making the move.
He’s had a chance to catch up with both Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, but both conversations weren’t about football.
“It’s just the excitement of seeing each other, asking how they’re doing and making sure everything is good moving forward. Is the excitement high, yes. Am I fired up, yes. Do I respect the hell out of both of those guys, yes. I’m looking forward to getting back to the grind and chopping wood with them.”
Bieniemy said he hasn’t had an opportunity to truly dig in and study the Chiefs’ offense from 2025 yet, but that’s what he plans to do very soon.
“I’m going to spend this time doing that during this period just to figure out the good, the bad, the ugly and the indifferent.”
FILE – Eric Bieniemy (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)(David Zalubowski | AP)
He also feels he’s picked up a few things in the last three years away that will help improve the Chiefs going forward.
“I’ve had an opportunity to learn a few things and obviously open up my mind (on) how to view things from a different point of view and it’s great. But on top of that, we have to make sure we’re getting down to what is best for us when it’s all said and done with,” he said.
Bieniemy was also asked how he plans to energize the run game, an area that was lacking in Kansas City last season. He gave a nod to the Chiefs’ Offensive Line Coach, Andy Heck, calling him one of the best in the league.
“Just having an impact and just making sure that we’re doing the things that we can do, that’s going to help us moving forward. Yes, have I been exposed to a number of run schemes, yes. At the end of the day, we got to make sure that we’re doing what is best for us moving forward, and I just think that’s a general overall plan.”
All in all, Bieniemy is overjoyed to be back in a place where the team culture helps breed success, and he hopes to implement some of the strategies he’s seen also breed success in other places over the last three years.
“Because of the success, you always have a tendency of wanting to do it the way that you know it to be done. But on top of that, there’s different ways to game plan everything, and I’ve just gained a diverse deal of wealth over the years from three good men who were head coaches that have an approach that you know what, it’s not bad.”
Bieniemy helped the Chiefs to Super Bowl rings as OC in 2019 and 2022. But he said his favorite memories were of watching his players grow as men and become family men.
“That’s important because the relationships that you build, they will outlast anything. And these young men, I’m just very proud of, and I’m just proud that I’ve had an opportunity to work with them,” said Bieniemy.
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