It was one other yr by which the Chiefs’ offense seemed dominant en path to their second Tremendous Bowl in 4 seasons. Missouri’s solely NFL workforce has hosted a convention championship recreation every of the final 5 seasons and was defeated in regulation zero occasions. Patrick Mahomes will get the spoils as one of the best quarterback within the recreation and conversations have already begun at 27 that he’s already a first-ballot Corridor of Famer. Andy Reid went from a strong coach and nice individual to being thought-about among the many biggest to ever tow a sideline. The place’s the confetti for Kansas Metropolis offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy?
The window for Bienemy to be a head coach in 2023 has closed
With Jonathan Gannon being named the Arizona Cardinals head coach on Tuesday, one other offseason NFL head teaching carousel journey has accomplished, with Bienemy interviewing and never being supplied a head teaching job within the NFL, whereas these with much less expertise and fewer success leap the road. It’s not a matter of whether or not Bienemy could possibly be a head coach. Does anybody see a yr one on any workforce beneath him going as badly as Nathaniel Hackett’s tenure in Denver? If you happen to’d relatively have the present Jets’ offensive coordinator working your workforce, be my visitor. On planet Earth, Bienemy wouldn’t let any scenario deteriorate that shortly. And it’s clear that chance isn’t going to occur with out one thing drastic altering for him.
There look like two choices for Bienemy to get into the NFL’s head teaching fraternity. First could be the upper threat, greater reward choice of leaving the Chiefs. Leaving a perfect scenario in Kansas Metropolis to run an offense would separate his accomplishments from Reid, as a substitute of sharing or giving freely a majority of the credit score. FOX’s Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen shouted out Reid for the selections that led to the workforce’s double-digit Tremendous Bowl LVII comeback over the Eagles, not the workforce’s offensive coordinator. Going to a workforce just like the Commanders, who’ve proven public curiosity in buying Bienemy’s providers, would expose his skills as a play caller. Washington head coach Ron Rivera is clearly a defensive-minded coach, leaving Bienemy on an island with regards to working the offense. With an honest quantity of expertise within the nation’s capital, how he’d elevate Sam Howell could be a terrific signal of how he’d carry out as a head coach. Then once more, others have been employed with much less proof, however that’s simply not the fact for Bienemy.
The one different choice, after a number of head-coaching cycles handed him by, could be outlasting Reid’s tenure in Kansas Metropolis and taking up for his present boss — getting Mahomes and Reid handy him the job as finest they’ll. Bienemy clearly has the correct assist from Kansas Metropolis’s entrance workplace. And with no indicators of Reid slowing down at 64, that may be a protracted wait, regardless of how strongly the two-time Tremendous Bowl-winning head coach thinks of his star pupil. It’s an odd juxtaposition, as a result of Reid was named the Eagles’ head coach over 20 years in the past with none play-calling expertise. Bienemy seemingly gained’t get the identical leeway, and he’s turn out to be the poster boy (man) for the inequities within the NFL’s head teaching ranks.
What’s the rationale Bienemy retains getting handed over?
The record of allegations from Bienemy’s time as a working again at Colorado to changing into a collegiate coach is troubling, together with allegedly grabbing a feminine parking attendant by the neck and threatening her in 1993. Not having an ideal file is motive sufficient to not rent him as a head coach, however let’s not faux he’d be the one one with an unsavory previous who has had the possibility to helm an NFL workforce. Can we neglect City Meyer that shortly? Some questioned if Bienemy would leap again to the faculty ranks when the Buffaloes’ job opened up a number of months again. Colorado ended up hiring Deion Sanders. Even so, Jim Harbaugh’s flirtation with going again to the NFL and leaving Michigan behind has way more credence, as a result of he’s led a workforce to a Tremendous Bowl earlier than his present stint in Ann Arbor. Bienemy doesn’t have any heading teaching expertise on his resume.
Pretending Bienemy’s circumstances can be a lot totally different subsequent yr when one other teaching carousel begins is silly. He did greater than sufficient to show he was worthy by NFL requirements a very long time in the past to be one of many league’s 32 head coaches. And he was handed over greater than a dozen occasions for the reason that Chiefs’ 2020 Tremendous Bowl victory. Even when Kansas Metropolis doesn’t win one other title subsequent season, who doubts its offense gained’t look spectacular? And that can be partially because of Bienemy.
On paper, leaving the Chiefs for a elevate and a brand new alternative would do the trick. Then it’s important to do not forget that the folks hiring head coaches gained’t change, even when Bienemy leads Washington to playoff success in a better convention. And if none with vacancies over the past three years would rent him, he’ll have to attend for Clark Hunt to advertise him. And Bienemy can be effectively overdue when that day comes.