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.
Kansas City Chiefs RB, Darrel Williams
Our first potential Eric Bieniemy defector happens to play tight end and is behind a big-name star in Travis Kelce. That could be one of the reasons he follows his offensive coordinator in the offseason — and is also why this next player could leave.
Running back Darrel Williams has showcased his talent whenever given the chance but he’s stuck behind a star player in Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Sure, CEH doesn’t have the star power that Kelce does — which could lead to Bell’s wandering eye — but he was a first-round pick and will be utilized over Williams.
Like Edwards-Helaire, Williams was a product of LSU but he went undrafted in 2018. The only team he’s ever played for is Kansas City as they gave him his shot then, and he’s repaid them to the tune of 895 yards rushing, 732 receiving, and 14 total touchdowns.
Most of that damage has been done this season as Edwards Helaire has missed a lot of time, leading to Williams getting more snaps. On the year, he has 541 yards rushing, 422 receiving, and eight touchdowns.
He’s also set to be a free agent and if Eric Bieniemy lands a head coaching gig, it would make sense for him to join his coach in a new home. Not only could it lead to more snaps for Williams, but it would also give Bieniemy a running back he knows can work in his offense.
Kansas City Chiefs WR, Byron Pringle
Another undrafted find for the Chiefs in 2018 was wide receiver Byron Pringle from Kansas State. Pringle showed off sub 4.5 speed during the draft process, which surely interested the Chiefs who love to be able to stretch the field with their wideouts.
As a rookie, however, Pringle never saw the field. He did end up playing in all 16 games the following season as he had 12 receptions for 170 yards and a touchdown. He added another 160 yards and a score the following season on 13 receptions.
Then in 2021, he really started to break out. With more time on the field, Pringle responded by catching 37 passes for 512 yards and five touchdowns in the team’s first 16 games. He’s proven to be a reliable target who can not only create some separation but also has caught 72.9 percent of the passes thrown his way during his time with Kansas City.
Surely they would love for him to come back in 2022 but he could also be tempted to join Eric Bieniemy should the coach move onto a new job. And Bieniemy would also appreciate having a sure-handed wideout who knows his system as well as anyone.
Pringle might not be a No. 1 wideout but he’s more than capable of hurting defenses as the second option. And sometimes, having such a player can be vital to the success of the offense.