Earlier this week, a handful of Chiefs fan blogs speculated on whether Kansas City could bring back Eric Bieniemy to fix the team’s stagnant offense for a playoff run.
That’s not going to happen, but it speaks to the level of esteem in which the veteran coach is held in Kansas City. It’s a love he never felt in Washington.
Bieniemy called the plays for the Commanders this season after taking over an offense that, while it finished 24th in the league in 2022, seemed poised to take off under proper leadership.
Instead, this year’s Commanders finished 25th in the league in points scored, failed to make a leap forward, and have now left Bieniemy in limbo just a year after buzz was building that he would be an NFL head coach soon.
Bieniemy’s hard-charging style never played well in the Commanders locker room, as veteran players bristled when he changed the schedule, demanding more of the team. Head coach Ron Rivera aired those concerns openly during training camp, later apologizing for creating a distraction and backing Bieniemy’s style.
Still, as the year ended, opinions were lukewarm at best among the team’s longtime players.
“I might be the only one to say it, but I think we had our ups and downs,” tight end Logan Thomas said. “We had some good, we had some bad. It’s one of those things where something new comes in after you’ve been used to something else for a couple years and sometimes you can bang heads. But I respect him for coming to work every day and being the same person every day. If you have a person who comes in and can be the same person, you can get on board with that.”
The culture clash is one reason new owner Josh Harris has instituted a sweeping evaluation of the building as he works to build his team moving forward.
Harris said Monday that Bieniemy would be approached as part of the coaching search, but made no commitments beyond that.
“I’ve enjoyed working with Eric, and obviously he’s had success over the years,” Harris said.
Offensive lineman Andrew Wylie followed Bieniemy from Kansas City, and lauded Bieniemy for not changing even as the environment around him did.
“He stayed to his guns this year,” Wylie said. “He didn’t change. EB has stayed the same coach that I’ve known for the last 5 years, and I commend him for that and I respect the hell out of him for that. I owe him so much in my life and my career, so I respect the hell out of him for not changing who he is, not changing his coaching style, and I don’t think he ever will.”
But Sam Cosmi, the team’s right tackle who was arguably the Commanders’ best offensive lineman this year, said the team lacked offensive balance.
At one point, quarterback Sam Howell led the league in attempts, even as the team had a losing record.
“I wanted to run the ball more,” Cosmi said. “And I felt like it was nothing but dropback passes. So, I just wanted to be more balanced, to be completely honest with you. Just run the rock, please. That’s all I would have to say with that.”
Where Bieniemy goes from here is somewhat unknown. It’s unlikely he has done enough to land a head coaching position, though all it takes is one team to hire him for that role. He could also chase one of the prominent offensive coordinator jobs, like Chicago or Seattle, and use success there to cleanse the memories of his time in Washington.
Regardless of which direction he goes, it’s unlikely that his time in Washington will be remembered as the career launcher it was initially hoped to be.
“I know it’s been a challenge because I’ve probably gotten more phone calls and more text messages than I ever have in the past 10 years,” Bieniemy said. “You try not to internalize it. It’s tough because when you are a competitor, you always want to win regardless.”
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