Eric Bieniemy further details decision to leave Chiefs for Commanders

Eric Bieniemy discussed his departure from Kansas City, his arrival in Washington, and how he knew last season would be his final one with the Chiefs.

Buy Chiefs Tickets

🎧 https://t.co/V30FCNp1Kd pic.twitter.com/03Bgbfgwki

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 27, 2023

Appearing on the latest episode of The Adam Schefter Podcast with ESPN reporter Adam Schefter, former Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy revealed that he knew for a long time that 2022 would be his last season in Kansas City.

“You knew, in all probability, that this was going to be your last year in Kansas City in the beginning of the season,” Schefter asked.

“Yes,” Bieniemy said.

Bieneimy came to this decision in a discussion with Chiefs HC Andy Reid. While the option for Bieniemy to remain in Kansas City was still on the table, Bieniemy sought out a new challenge to further his growth as a coach.

“So, I guess I can talk about this now,” Bieniemy began. “I knew going into the season. Me and Coach (Reid), we talked about this for years, and the thing was, he was like, ‘EB, I don’t want to feel like I’m holding you back.’ And I said, ‘Coach, you’re not holding me back because this is a special place.’ And he said, ‘You don’t have to leave.’ He’s always wanted me to stick around. That’s the thing about him, I was always welcome to come back. But he knows me. Eric is always looking for a challenge. Eric is always looking for a journey that is going to help him seek a different way of doing things and also lead to growth. That way, I can help my circle of people grow and expand as well.”

This conversation that Bieniemy and Reid had ahead of the 2022 NFL season was kept under wraps. That’s because the offensive coordinator insisted that he did not want to become a distraction for the team as they sought (and eventually achieved) their ultimate goal of winning Super Bowl LVII.

“It was a hell of a year, it was a great challenge, but on top of that it was a lot of fun,” Bieniemy said. “It was winning that last game, it kind of put the icing on the cake. I’d known (I was going to leave) for a while, but that was something that was between me and Coach (Reid). It was nothing that was discussed with any of our other coaches. It was just us. And the thing about it, I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t a distraction for anyone else. No one else needed to know. I wanted to make sure we went our business the way we do it every single day without distracting anyone from seeking the prize.”

Asked about how much of his decision had to do with not getting a head coaching job and being passed over so many times before, Bieniemy didn’t hold back. While he was involved in the collaborative effort that was the Chiefs’ offense, it wasn’t “his” per se. It’s clear that Bieniemy knows this opportunity will give him a chance to craft the Washington offense to his liking.

“Obviously, everyone in this industry wants to be the head guy,” Bieniemy said. “Not everyone can be the head guy for whatever reason, for whatever aspect. But, the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do is just work with good people. . . that’s why having an opportunity to work with Coach Ron (Rivera) is great because I’ve known Ron since the 1999 season. . . why not have an opportunity to come and work with a man of integrity, a leader of men? He’s going to give me the opportunity to work with the offense and run it how I want to run it. I’m excited about that. It gets me fired up and it gives me a chance to help some of these coaches that we have on our staff to grow and develop together and do it our way.”

Whether Bieniemy will leverage this opportunity into a future head-coaching position remains to be seen, but he clearly sees this as an opportunity for growth that he couldn’t achieve by remaining in Kansas City.