Sources tell Matt Lombardo of FanSided that Eric Bieniemy and John Dorsey could be a package deal.
The upcoming hiring season should begin in the next few weeks in the NFL as one of several frustrated teams hungry for new leadership will make the first move to hire a new regime. For one team, it could include a reunion of former and current Kansas City Chiefs employees.
Matt Lombardo, National NFL columnist for FanSided, has word that former Chiefs general manager John Dorsey and current offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy might make themselves available as a package deal of sorts for a team looking to recreate the stable success of Kansas City. Lombardo writes:
"Executives and sources around the league tell FanSided that former Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns general manager John Dorsey will likely be among the most sought after GMs, and it’s highly likely that he’ll be bringing Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy with him as head coach."
Lombardo goes on to mention that three teams in particular stand out from sources: the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, and Atlanta Falcons.
It’s no secret that Bieniemy is a favorite to win a head coaching job this offseason after taking several interviews over the last two years to no avail. Bieniemy now has eight season on staff with Andy Reid and the Chiefs and three full years as the team’s offensive coordinator. He’s earned the respect of his players and fellow coaches, and Reid himself has stated on multiple occasions how ready Bieniemy is for the task.
Some questions about Bieniemy’s background and the question of just how much he handles the Chiefs offense have reportedly held him back from actually winning a job outright, which makes the idea of a package deal even more interesting.
Dorsey is no stranger to questions or concerns despite a body of work that also speaks to his tremendous eye for talent. A team looking to turn things around could do much worse than turn their roster over to Dorsey, who honestly deserves far more credit than he receives around Chiefs Kingdom—from savvy signings of Mitchell Schwartz, to Travis Kelce‘s extension, to the perfectly placed trade to sneak in and take Patrick Mahomes from every other interested team in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Yet Dorsey was also reportedly hard to deal with in K.C., a man with communication issues who can be abrasive and the cap concerns that piled up for the Chiefs certainly didn’t help. There was a reason the Chiefs allowed Dorsey to walk after helping to resurrect the franchise. Despite leaving a loaded roster, team owner Clark Hunt made the decision to move on and re-sign only Andy Reid to a new extension. He instead promoted Brett Veach to run the front office.
Both Bieniemy and Dorsey might come with some questions or concerns, but that’s true of any new hire (whether “unproven” or not). Both men have been a part of a very successful organization. Dorsey has a proven track record to unearth talent and create a competitive roster rather quickly. Bieniemy is a proven motivator who has learned from a Hall of Fame coach for nearly a decade. Together, they might just resurrect a moribund franchise.