The Chiefs have requested to interview Bears running backs coach Eric Bieniemy for their offensive coordinator vacancy, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Bienemy, 56, previously held that position from 2018 to 2022 and is expected to retake it in the coming weeks, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic.
Kansas City made a few offensive staff changes at the end of their disappointing 2025 season. Wide receivers coach Connor Embree and running backs coach Todd Pinkston were both relieved of their duties, while the contract of offensive coordinator Matt Nagy was not renewed. That may have been the plan all along, as Nagy has attracted head coaching interest from the Cardinals, Ravens, Raiders, and Titans. He seems to be a finalist for the job in Tennessee.
Bienemy, who was the Chiefs’ running backs coach for the five years before he was promoted to offensive coordinator, took a dual assistant head coach/offensive coordinator role with the Commanders in 2023 and UCLA in 2024. Neither team’s offense excelled with Bienemy in Charger. The Commanders ranked among the NFL’s bottom-10 offenses in 2023, while UCLA averaged just 18.4 points in 2024, the third-fewest in the Big Ten.
Bienemy’s next stop was Chicago, where he was hired by new head coach Ben Johnson to lead the running back room. Bienemy has excelled in that role. Six-year veteran D’Andre Swift has put up career-best numbers in the volume and efficiency, while seventh-round rookie Kyle Monangai has the most rushing yards by a No. 2 running back in the league.
The Chiefs’ offense in general has regressed since Bienemy’s departure, but their run game has especially struggled. After ranking seventh and eight in yards per carry during the final two years of Bienemy’s first OC stint, the Chiefs have ranked 13th, 29th, and 20th in the following three. Bringing Bienemy back could help re-establish the ground game in Kansas City, which may take some pressure off of the air attack and lead to more efficiency there, too.