Former Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is coming off his second Super Bowl victory with the franchise after ten seasons with the organization. He began as a running backs coach in 2013 before being promoted to OC in 2018 once Matt Nagy left to become a head coach in Chicago.
Now, Bieniemy will be embarking on a new adventure, this time with the Washington Commanders, though strangely enough, he accepted a lateral move with the same title as he had in Kansas City. Yet, there is a big difference between the two situations. Obviously, the quarterback is a massive change, from Patrick Mahomes to Sam Howell. But there’s an even bigger adjustment coming.
For the first time in his NFL career, Bieniemy will be the full-time play-caller on offense, sending in the signals to Howell’s helmet or whoever will be Washington’s quarterback. This means that, win or lose, no one will be able to say Bieniemy is boosted by the genius wit of coach Andy Reid or the greatness of Mahomes.
In fact, one of Bieniemy’s former players, LeSean McCoy, who spent the 2019 season with the Kansas City Chiefs, starting nine games, and appearing in a total of 13 during their Super Bowl-winning season, is now criticizing his former coordinator.
Responding to Washington’s decision to hire Bieniemy, Shady McCoy suggests those who are enamored with the coach simply haven’t been told the full story. Here’s what McCoy had to say.
“What’s his value? What makes him a good offensive coordinator? See the problem is, a lot of these people that go on social media and ‘oh he should be the guy for the job’, they haven’t played there. They’re not in the locker room. I’ve been in the rooms where he’s coaching, and he has nothing to do with the pass game, at all. When the plays are designed, that’s Andy Reid.
I can tell you what makes Brian Daboll with the Giants a very good coordinator, I could tell you about Andy Reid or Doug Pederson. But when I ask about Eric Bieniemy, what makes him good? When we watch film and correct wide receivers and quarterbacks, he doesn’t talk in there, he has no real responsibility.”
Former Kansas City Chiefs running back LeSean McCoy on Eric Bieniemy
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LeSean McCoy is still hoping Eric Bieniemy has success
Ultimately, McCoy closed by saying he’s rooting for Bieniemy, mentioning how rare it is for running back coaches to rise up to coordinator status. But he’s also wondering and concerned about Bieniemy’s “true value.”
It’s even more noteworthy that McCoy would speak out against Bieniemy, considering working with running backs is the coach’s specialty, being that he was a former rusher himself.
Bieniemy has gained a lot of respect over the years, whether it was helping prepare Adrian Peterson to take the league by storm during his days with the Minnesota Vikings, winning NFL MVP in 2012, or helping the Chiefs establish a high-octane offense next to coach Reid. Yet, as you can see, Bieniemy has plenty of skeptics, too, including players he’s coached before.
Related: Washington Commanders committed to starting QB Sam Howell in 2023, supported by Eric Bieniemy