It’s no secret that the Kansas City Chiefs are coming off one of the worst seasons in recent memory after going 6-11, missing the playoffs, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes tearing his ACL, but there might be a silver lining: The Chiefs have brought back former offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, and tight end Travis Kelce may suit up for another year.
Chiefs Bring Back Eric Bieniemy After Three Seasons Away
With offensive coordinator Matt Nagy in line for other opportunities, the Chiefs decided to bring back an old friend in Bieniemy, who served as the team’s offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2022 and the running backs coach from 2013 to 2017.
Over his span as offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2022, no team had a better PFSN NFL Offense Impact score than the 2018 Chiefs, who posted a 95.8. That season, the Chiefs went 12-4 and lost in the Conference Championship game, but Kelce was sensational, catching 103 passes for 1,336 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Beyond that, though, under Bieniemy, the Chiefs never finished worse than sixth in the league in points per game. Since he left, they’ve never finished higher than 15th.
Over the last few seasons, Bieniemy has served as an assistant head coach and offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders (2023) and UCLA (2024), and this past year, he was the running backs coach for the Chicago Bears, who had a dynamic backfield with D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai.
“I love watching them, man,” Kelce said about the Bears offense last month on the “New Heights” podcast. “I just love watching teams that have Eric Bieniemy as their coach.”
With Bieniemy back in the fold, will members of the old guard, namely Kelce, who will turn 37 during the 2026-27 season, give it another go?
According to Arrowhead Corner, this decision to bring him back does play a role. The X post read, “Sources: There’s strong player support inside the #Chiefs building for the return of Eric Bieniemy, per me and @ChiefsTalk_. It’s seen as a significant factor that could play a role in Travis Kelce’s decision on whether to return,” they wrote on X.
Also, Kelce has always championed Bienemy, dating back to around the time when the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals squared off in Super Bowl 56. “I ask everybody, come on in, see who’s standing up in front of our offense getting us ready for situational football… That’s Eric Bienemy,” Kelce said several years ago.
As of right now, we know Kelce has mentioned he’s monitoring his health to see if he’s ready to go for next season, but those comments came before Bieniemy was brought back. Time will tell if No. 87 is back on the field next season. This season, he ranked 12th on the PFSN NFL TE Impact metrics.
