Winning comes at a price in the NFL. There’s a reason head coach Ben Johnson said the team they going into 2026 with won’t be the same as this one in 2025. Every team endures changes, be it through personnel or coaching staff. For the Chicago Bears, it looks like it will be both. Word has come out that the Kansas City Chiefs have requested an interview with running backs coach Eric Bieniemy for their offensive coordinator position. Matt Nagy’s contract is expiring and he might be headed elsewhere for a head coaching job. Bieniemy served in that role with Kansas City from 2018 through 2022, during which time the team won two Super Bowls.
It isn’t a surprise. Patrick Mahomes played his best football under Bieniemy’s direction, but seemed to regress under Nagy in recent years. If he does leave, it would be a tough blow for the Bears. The man has been a terrific addition to the staff, helping develop rookie running back Kyle Monangai while getting a career-best season from D’Andre Swift. Replacing that kind of quality coaching won’t be easy, but the team likely knew someone like Bieniemy wouldn’t stick around long. He’s too good at what he does.
The Chicago Bears must prepare to seek possible alternatives.
Ben Johnson could place a call to Jeff Nixon, who was the running backs coach in Miami when the Bears coach was down there as an assistant. The smarter play would be looking to pluck somebody from the large number of staff that just saw their head coaches fired. Kelly Skipper in Buffalo would be a big one. Willie Taggert in Baltimore and Autry Denson in Arizona all bring quality backgrounds. Much depends on what Johnson is looking for. No doubt he’d prefer somebody with a similar no-nonsense style.
That said, it’s important to note Bieniemy isn’t gone yet. This is only an interview. Perhaps the Chiefs decide they’d rather go in a different direction. In such a case, the Chicago Bears get to keep a great coach for at least another year. Either way, fans should make sure to appreciate what Bieniemy helped accomplish. They don’t get as far as they did this season without his presence on the staff. Here is hoping they get a little more luck to keep it going.
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