Eric Bieniemy is once again a candidate to become a head coach this offseason. If he does leave the Kansas City Chiefs, these 3 free agents could follow him
It’s become an annual tradition in the NFL. Every year, there’s at least one assistant from the Kansas City Chiefs who gets an interview for a head coaching gig, and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has been the hot name in recent years.
Bieniemy played nine seasons in the NFL after being taken in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft out of Colorado. He started his career with the San Diego Chargers then spent time with the Cincinnati Bengals and finally played for Andy Reid and the Philadelphia Eagles in 1999.
He and Reid were reunited in 2013 when Bieniemy became the Chiefs running backs coach and then he was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2018. He has held that role ever since and it seems to be just a matter of time until he gets a head coaching gig.
If that ends up happening in 2022, here are three pending free agents who could follow him from K.C. to his new home.
Kansas City Chiefs TE, Blake Bell
Blake Bell liked the Chiefs offense so much that he came back to it after spending one year with a different club. A former collegiate quarterback, Bell was a fourth-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers back in 2015. He spent two seasons there, one in Minnesota and one in Jacksonville before being claimed by the Chiefs off waivers.
After hauling in just eight receptions for 67 yards (which was ironically the exact same totals he had the year prior with the Jags), Bell joined the Dallas Cowboys. In 2020, he had 110 yards on 11 receptions but then rejoined Kansas City this year.
He continues to have modest numbers with 87 yards on nine receptions but he knows the offense well and could be a weapon for Bieniemy given his ability to play Wildcat quarterback.