A top NFL insider believes that with the Kansas City Chiefs offense being a mess right now, they could be hoping that the Washington Commanders clean house soon and open the door to a major reunion just in time for the playoffs.
After the first nine weeks of the 2023 NFL regular season, the Chiefs were 7-2, seemed headed to home field in the playoffs, and serious run at another Super Bowl title. However, since then they are 2-4 and their struggles have been led by some surprisingly poor play by their usually outstanding offense.
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Their wide receivers have butter fingers, their run game is inconsistent, and reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes has been surprisingly mistake-prone as he tries to make up for their unexpected weaknesses. It has even led to public displays of frustration from the usually cool QB.
Their poor showing on offense the last few weeks has created a lot of speculation about the future of offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and possible replacements. In a perfect world, the Chiefs would get former offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy back in the fold before the playoffs to reignite the offensive monster they had last year. One NFL insider believes that may not be a completely outlandish idea.
Eric Bieniemy could rejoin Kansas City Chiefs for playoffs if Washington Commanders fire staff right after Week 18
“First, the [Washington] Commanders would have to fire Bieniemy. If/when they move on from coach Ron Rivera, the Commanders could choose to hold other members of the staff in place, until the next coach decides whether to keep him,” Pro Football Talks Mike Florio wrote on Tuesday. “If that doesn’t happen, and if Bieniemy is relieved of his duties, he’d be free and clear to join any other team for the playoff run.
“Why not return to the Chiefs? Quarterback Patrick Mahomes recently explained that Bieniemy brought an accountability that the team is missing.”
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Mahomes has gone on record during Bieniemy’s five years as coordinator, and since he joined the Commanders this season, to show his appreciation of the coach’s approach. The fact that the unit has had a shockingly bad year without him is more than enough evidence of how influential he was on a group that is not very different from their offense last season.
With multiple teams making coordinator changes in 2023, the Kansas City Chiefs bringing back their former coordinator for a playoff run is very possible. However, it is all up to how quickly the Commanders move on from Rivera — which is expected after Week 18 — if they hold on to any of his staff, and whether the coach is open to a reunion.
The Commanders gave Bieniemy a sizable two-year deal to become their OC in 2023.