The latest
Three former Chiefs players rave about Eric Bieniemy coming back to the team | Kansas City Star
Schwartz wasn’t the only former Chiefs player to rave about Bieniemy’s return.
Jeff Allen, an offensive lineman who spent six seasons with the Chiefs during his NFL career from 2012-2019, also spoke highly of Bieniemy.
“The organization, which includes players and coaches, is fully aware of the value EB brings to the team!” Allen wrote on X. “The stats speak for themselves. Just look at what he accomplished
as the offensive coordinator in KC.”
Former Chiefs tight end Jason Dunn responded to a video that showed Bieniemy showing tough love to running back Adrian Peterson when they were both with the Vikings.
Peterson rushed for nearly 15,000 yards in the NFL and was a four-time All-Pro after a standout career at Oklahoma.
“This type of Coaching is what’s necessary for young men coming into this League,” Dunn wrote. “A Truthful and Stern Coach that will never let them be mediocre or allow them to shirk responsibility. Welcome Home EB my Brotha!!! #ChiefsKingdom”
As Chiefs OC, Eric Bieniemy could be exactly what offense needs | ESPN
Reid could see a reunion with Bieniemy as a clear path for the Chiefs offense to once again become one of the league’s most potent units. In his previous five years with the Chiefs, Bieniemy helped the offense finish no lower than sixth in points per game.
In the second half of this past season, several opponents — the Buffalo Bills, the Denver Broncos, the Houston Texans and the Los Angeles Chargers — were able to expose a flaw in the Chiefs’ offense: They put more defensive backs on the field and still pressured Mahomes without blitzing. Reid and Nagy had several moments in which they struggled to find answers when Mahomes faced man-to-man coverage. Mahomes tried to do his best when his receivers couldn’t get open by scrambling to extend the play in hopes of creating a highlight. But he completed just 41% of his passes when under duress, the lowest such completion percentage in his career.
Matt Nagy could now shift his focus toward an offensive coordinator job with play-calling responsibilities
We already know, based on an NFL insider report, that Nagy had a backup plan in case something like this happened. If he’s unable to secure one of the six remaining head-coaching vacancies, Nagy could seek out “a play-calling job elsewhere.” That’s the one area in which his experience has really lacked over the past four seasons. He did have play-calling duties as head coach of the Chicago Bears from 2018 to 2021, with a brief lapse when he turned them over to Bill Lazor. That’s not to say his resume in Kansas City disqualifies him, but it’s a major concern for some clubs, especially if he aims to continue as a head coach and play-caller without giving those duties to an offensive coordinator.
Around the NFL
Mike McGlinchey: Jarrett Stidham can ball, we have utmost confidence in him | Pro Football Talk
“He’s been waiting for this moment for the entirety of his career,” McGlinchey said, via the team’s website. “He’s more prepared than anybody would be in this situation, and he can ball. He flat out can play quarterback. We’ve seen it every single day at practice. We’ve seen it in training camp. We’ve seen it in the preseason. I have no doubts that he’s going to go out there and play his butt off. I think our team is in a perfect position with Stiddy moving forward. We’re lucky to have him, and we’re lucky our team and our coaching staff and our front office invests in every situation that can possibly come up on a football field, because not everybody has a quarterback waiting in the wings as talented as Jarrett.”
There will likely be a lot of similar sentiments about Stidham expressed in Denver this week, but it is uncharted waters to turn to a player with so little playing time to start at such an important position in a moment like this. Pulling it off would be a story for the ages and would make it hard to believe there’s anything the Broncos can’t accomplish this season.
Mendoza returned to his hometown, facing a Miami program that didn’t recruit him out of high school, in what was billed as a dream matchup, watched closely by long-suffering Hoosiers fans, as well as NFL teams. Some of them were even on hand for the big event, with Raiders owner Mark Davis, GM Jon Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady on the sidelines.
But Mendoza struggled to generate big pass plays most of the night, out-passed by Beck, 232 yards to 186, completing 16 of 27 passes. Mendoza had an efficient first half, but he was increasingly under fire as the game went on, sacked by the Hurricanes on three of his first five pass attempts of the second half. He also took a hit from DB Jakobe Thomas while carrying out a fake in the first quarter, which didn’t earn a penalty but did give Mendoza a bloody lip.
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs’ hire of veteran WRs coach is a departure from Andy Reid norms
The Chiefs also could have made another veteran, familiarity hire at the position by rehiring Greg Lewis, who coached the team’s wideouts from 2017-2020 (and the running backs the next two seasons). Lewis left Kansas City for the Baltimore Ravens in 2023 and is presumably available after longtime coach John Harbaugh was fired on January 6.
Reid appears to have recognized the need for a new voice in the wide receiver room, given the importance of this offseason for recent draft picks Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy. 2026 will mark Rice’s final opportunity to show he can consistently play to his tantalizing potential before his rookie contract expires. The Chiefs will also need to decide on Worthy’s fifth-year option after next season.
O’Shea may also mark a shifting priority for Reid, who will coach the 2026 season at 68 years old. Seeking a veteran assistant from outside of his circle may signal that, in the final few seasons of his career, Reid is less interested in developing assistants and more urgently seeking instant results.
Social media to make you think
Follow Arrowhead Pride on Social Media
- Facebook: Like our page
- Instagram: @ArrowheadPride
- X: Follow @ArrowheadPride
- AP Staff on X: See complete list
- 90.9 The Bridge on X: Follow @909thebridge
