How the wheels could be in motion for an Eric Bieniemy-Chiefs return in 2024

Who could have seen this coming? For years, the Kansas City Chiefs never seemed to give their former offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy the credit he rightfully deserved. He may not have been a former quarterback and may have had to deal with the harsh reality that head coach Andy Reid called the plays. However, the Kansas City offense has looked markedly worse in their first year without him.

Despite his current employer in the Washington Commanders circling the drain under head coach Ron Rivera, 2023 has been a huge plus in Bieniemy's seemingly never-ending quest to be an NFL head coach. Rivera is a defensive-minded head coach, affording Bieniemy his first real opportunity to call plays. Washington is not a good football team, but at times, its offense has really looked the part.

With Rivera's seat being hotter than the surface of the sun, Bieniemy may need to look for a new place to work. Washington's abysmal record may prevent Bieiniemy from getting a head-coaching opportunity this offseason, but a potential return to Kansas City could make him a leading candidate for many job openings come 2025. It is why Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio is bullish on him returning.

Given how bad Matt Nagy has done since taking over as their offensive coordinator, Bieniemy could make the Kansas City offense exponentially better, helping them get back to 12 or 13 wins or so.

Eric Bieniemy potentially returning to Kansas City Chiefs this offseason

No doubt about it. Bieniemy's departure for Washington has made the Chiefs considerably worse as a football team. The defending Super Bowl champions may win the AFC West again for the umpteenth season in a row, but this is not a team capable of getting back to the big game, let alone good enough to host the AFC Championship Game. They may win a playoff game, but that is all they are capable of.

One would think that a Bieniemy return could be a piece of cake, but he will be far from a panacea for what is ailing this team. General manager Brett Veach has made questionable moves in recent years to try and keep this high-octane offense afloat in the reality of a hard salary cap. Trading away Tyreek Hill was understandable in theory, but he plays for the better team in the AFC in the Miami Dolphins.

The fact the Chiefs have to pay franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes out the wazoo has not helped either in terms of overall roster construction. All the while, Reid seems to be more focused on drawing up plays for him than coaching up the entire team. Overall, the Chiefs' ceiling has been lowered. It happens, but Bieniemy's Kansas City departure may have signified a broken relationship.

Fences can be mended, but there are no guarantees that Bieniemy will ever return to Kansas City.