5 potential replacements for Dan Quinn with the Atlanta Falcons

While Lincoln Riley would be a reach and Mike Tomlin may not be possible, the best candidate for a first-time NFL head coach in this cycle might very well be Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. The former Colorado Buffaloes star running back replaced Matt Nagy as the Kansas City offensive coordinator last year, just in time for the Patrick Mahomes era to take flight.

Truthfully, it may be a tad hard to separate him from his mentor Andy Reid in Kansas City. Reid is one of the best offensive minds this sport has ever seen. Bieniemy specializes in the running game but has developed a bunch of creative concepts to let Mahomes let it rip in this high-octane Chiefs offense.

Going with a guy like Bieniemy might be a tad controversial since he’s roughly a year out from truly being ready to be an NFL head coach. That being said, he does offer tremendous upside and the Reid coaching tree is one of the most fruitful in football. Just look at John Harbaugh with the Baltimore Ravens, Nagy with the Chicago Bears and Doug Pederson with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Atlanta does play its best ball when the Falcons can run the football with authority. The ground game will be crucial to Atlanta’s future success, but will Bieniemy be able to get the most out of quarterback Matt Ryan? Another issue might be in Bieniemy’s ability to put together a strong coaching staff. Other candidates have an edge up on him on being a former head coach.