Chicago Bears have interest in Eric Bieniemy if Matt Eberflus is fired

With the problems the Chicago Bears have with their coaching staff, head coach Matt Eberflus could see himself get relieved of his duties. Should that happen, there are reports that the team is interested in Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.

Bieniemy was the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2022. This season, he took the same position with the Washington Commanders. Bears' general manager Ryan Poles worked with Bieniemy in Kansas City so he understands his philosophy and how he works.

Bieniemy has been a hot head coaching prospect for a few years now. However, after all the interviews he went on, no one has given him a chance to become a head coach. Part of the reason for that is that in Kansas City head coach Andy Reid does all of the playcalling. Perhaps teams wanted to see him call plays before they hand over the keys to the team over to him.

With the Commanders, Bieniemy has improved the offense. The Commanders rank 22nd in points scored and 16th in total yards. They ranked 24th and 20th, respectively, in 2022. While that is a modest improvement, it is an improvement nonetheless.

The Chicago Bears desperately need someone to help develop the quarterback. Eric Bieniemy could be that guy to get it done.

What is most important for the Bears is developing the quarterback position. They currently have Justin Fields, but he has been hit or miss so far. With some very good quarterback prospects in next year's draft like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Bo Nix, and Michael Penix Jr, Poles and team president Kevin Warren have big decisions to make.

The Bears could opt to trade Fields and reset the quarterback contract situation, They could also decide to keep him and trade one or both of their top-five picks. In either case, the Bears need a head coach and an offensive coordinator who could help whoever is at quarterback.

While the offense in Washington has had modest gains, one area that has greatly improved is the quarterback position. Sam Howell has spent most of the season as the NFL's leading passer. He has 3,466 passing yards, which ranks second. Additionally, he has completed 65.8 percent of his passes and has 18 touchdowns. He even contributes on the ground, rushing for 243 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Howell is Washington's fifth-round pick in last year's draft. He had one game under his belt before winning the starting job this season. Nothing about his abilities indicated that he could do what he is doing. Bieniemy was able to unlock something in him.

Despite the 4-8 record, the Bears are on the rise. After finishing the 2022 season losing their last 10 games, this season they are 4-4 after losing their first four. They had two late-game collapses and spoiled opportunities in two other games that could have given them victories. That goes to bad coaching. It does not matter how good the roster is. If the coaching is not right the team will go nowhere.

There are some good pieces on the roster and, with two possible top-five picks (and five in the top four rounds), to go along with a projection of somewhere near $100 million in salary cap space, Poles should add even more talent. That, and Chicago being the third largest market, make the Bears an attractive target.

While some people criticize Bieniemy for not having a bigger impact on the Washington offense. The Commanders have more holes than the Bears, however. Their offensive line is horrible. They've given up 58 sacks so far, second-most in the league. That is with Howell as the quarterback. He isn't exactly the runner that Fields is.

Fields gets criticized for holding onto the ball too long. That results in added sacks. After giving up nearly 60 sacks in each of the past two seasons, the Bears are on pace to allow fewer than 50, however.

Additionally, the Bears have one of the top rushing attacks, one of the top wide receivers in DJ Moore, and one of the top tight ends in Cole Kmet. With a couple more pieces added this offseason, and a coach who can develop a quarterback, this team could cause some damage next season.

We can see how much of an impact Bieniemy is on an offense. Take a look at the defending Super Bowl champions. The Chiefs had one of the scariest, most dynamic offenses in the league. It seemed that Patrick Mahomes could do no wrong.

Without Bieniemy, however, the Chiefs haven't been the same. They do not seem like an invincible team. Miami Dolphins receiver and former Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill spoke about the difference in the Chiefs this season.

"A lot of people probably won't say it, Kansas City has a lot of great players on that team, but EB [Eric Bieniemy] has a certain standard. He'll never let you get comfortable, no matter how great you think you are... I miss the way he used to push me."

- Tyreek Hill

At any rate, this will again be an interesting offseason for the Bears. Last offseason they took big steps in overhauling the roster. This offseason could add building blocks and have the franchise taking steps to reverse all of the struggles from the last few decades.