Kansas City Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy once again had a terrific season. Bieniemy is easily a top-five coordinator in the league, if not the best. Under him, the Chiefs offense posted more than 400 yards per game. He has been in rumors about potential head coaching positions for a couple years. For some reason, no team has pulled the trigger on his services.
With that being said, here is the 2021 edition of the three teams most likely to hire Eric Bieniemy as head coach.
Eric Bieniemy Coach Destinations
Houston Texans
One big domino would have to fall in line for this to work. Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson needs to buy in and agree to stay. He was pushing for the Texans to hire Bieniemy before they decided to not even interview him, at first. While there are plenty of other reasons Watson is peeved at the front office and looking to leave, the inattention to Bieniemy as a candidate was a big factor. If the Texans can hire him, he’ll inherit one of the elite quarterbacks in the league, and an offense that isn’t as bad as they have recently performed.
On the defensive side, J.J. Watt’s contract construction leaves him on the chopping block, which will obviously be a huge blow to an already porous defense. Houston also traded away their third overall pick to the Miami Dolphins. Unfortunately, they don’t have much of any cap to move, but this would definitely be a process. Bill O’Brien’s moves reset this team to an even darker place than before Houston even had a football team. But if one person can resurrect this team, it’s Bieniemy.
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons have not been able to bounce back since their humiliating collapse in Super Bowl LI. They have an aging and laughably overpaid Matt Ryan at quarterback, and an older and injury-prone Julio Jones. If there is one guy who can figure this out, it’s the best offensive coordinator in the league. They don’t have much cap space either, so this will also be a process. Seeing how much time owner Arthur Blank gave former coach Dan Quinn, Bieniemy should have plenty of time to figure this out.
The defense is a complete joke for Atlanta, but again, this would be a process. Unlike Houston, Atlanta does hold the rights to their pick, which is fourth overall. There is plenty they can do with that pick, and I’m sure this front office would give Bieniemy whatever he asks for. Like with all the other options, a decent defensive coordinator could make up for a lot, although they will certainly need more before they compete.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers have hired Brandon Staley to be their next HC.
A disappointing season for the Los Angeles Chargers this season, as they blew multiple leads and underperformed. Hear this one before? The Chargers have a stacked offense, on paper, and bringing in Bieniemy would make them a dangerous unit in the NFL. With young gunslinger Justin Herbert at quarterback, the ever-so-shifty Austin Ekeler at running back and Keenan Allen, one of the most underrated receivers in the league, this offense can be special. He’d be great to help continue to develop Herbert and could pack some holes with the 13th overall pick as well.
The defense would obviously be somewhat of a concern, but surely there are some solid defensive coordinators that could help him out. Even without any changes, this defense has the talent to be elite. With a stud like Joey Bosa on the defensive line and a solid secondary, with Chris Harris and Derwin James, they are one solid coordinator from being a force as well. While no hiring is perfect, one surefire way to combat their underachieving nature would be with a high octane offense.
