Eric Bieniemy deserves the big job and a chance to call his own shots, but a startling lack of head coach openings might limit him for another year.
If you want to understand the proper context of this job market for Eric Bieniemy, it’s worth reflecting back several years to the last time the Kansas City Chiefs selected first overall in the NFL Draft.
The year was 2013 and the Chiefs, coming off of a 2-14 season, had “earned” the top pick overall. In any given year, the pick is a franchise quarterback or cornerstone defender. It’s Andrew Luck or Baker Mayfield. It’s Myles Garrett or Jadeveon Clowney. Yet for the Chiefs, they just happened to hit rock bottom in the one year where the draft pool was nearly dry.
The 2013 NFL Draft went down in the books as one of the single worst draft classes ever. It’s not hard to find several takedowns of the overall class, but FOX Sports even called the worst of the last 25 years. Nine of the first round picks are out of the NFL entirely just six seasons later, and many more have been deemed a “bust” for years despite their careers lasting this long.
The Chiefs ended up taking Eric Fisher first overall, and in this context, getting an above average left tackle for over a half-decade was a nice haul for K.C.
The context here is important to note because Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy faces a similarly strange situation with the number of head coaching openings heading into the 2020 season. Bieniemy is the obvious “next” product from Andy Reid‘s incredible coaching tree, and he earned looks from four teams last year as well. With another year of experience as the Chiefs offensive right hand and Reid’s strong verbal support to reporters, Bieniemy has earned interest and perhaps interviews with every single team hiring a new head coach.
Here’s the problem, however. There aren’t enough openings. In fact, when the music stops on this game of musical coaching chairs, it’s not hard to see Eric Bieniemy left standing alone as the candidate who couldn’t find a place to sit.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t a knock on Bieniemy. If any NFL head coach should be taken at his word that a man is ready, it’s Reid. Even Bill Belichick, widely considered the greatest head coach of all time, has mostly shoddy results from those who’ve studied under him (although Mike Vrabel and Brian Flores are hoping to change that reputation in the next few years).
Instead, it’s about looking at the context within which Bieniemy is trying to turn heads and admitting that it might be more difficult than anyone might realize. Unfortunately it might also reflect poorly on Bieniemy when it’s not his fault.
Consider this: last year, there were eight head coach openings. This year it looked as if there would be that many again. Then suddenly, NFL owners began to exhibit and spread a virus known as patience. The Atlanta Falcons were now interested in more Dan Quinn. Matt Patricia had earned more time with the Detroit Lions. Adam Gase somehow hypnotized Jets ownership to give him one more year. Even the Dallas Cowboys, as of press time, have yet to get rid of Jason Garrett, a sign that he might have a future with the team after all.
Each of those teams represents a significant opportunity for someone like Bieniemy, and all of those were doors that never, ever opened. What’s frustrating, then, is that the market is not only much smaller than it was expected to be, but the number of potential head coaches is greater than the demand.
This was the year Mike McCarthy decided to return to the game. Ron Rivera represented an excellent, ready-made head coaching hire (a la Andy Reid in 2013), and the Washington Redskins proceeded accordingly. (It’s important to note that rumors pegged Bieniemy as the favorite in the nation’s capital until Rivera was ousted in Carolina.) Matt Rhule and Lincoln Riley both might finally leave the college game behind for NFL glory.
Even with the limited market, Bieniemy might be in better standing with every team if it was a familiar year filled with unknown coordinators vying for the same jobs. Instead, Bieniemy finds himself jostling with well-known head coaches with a decent track record of success apiece alongside wunderkind college minds that signify a sexy hire for an owner and his fan base.
In the end, Bieniemy may need to put one more year as a coordinator in the NFL before the music stops and he finds a seat. We certainly hope not and believe Bieniemy has plenty of chances here to make his case with the likes of the Panthers, the Giants, and the Browns. But if these particular teams decide to go a different way, it will unfairly reflect on an offensive mind ready to lead his own team now. In two years, fans will wonder, “Well, why has no one hired him yet?” and they’ll be lacking the context to understand that it’s not as simple or straightforward as it seems.