NFL head coaching hires debunk questions of Eric Bieniemy’s impact

At the present time, Eric Bieniemy has one more chance to officially land a head coaching job in the National Football League—at least for the 2022 season. The New Orleans Saints reportedly had a day-long interview session with him on Sunday, and it’s too soon to tell whether or not he’s going to be a finalist for the job or on the outside looking in. Either way, it doesn’t change the fact that he should have never been in this position—that is, still available—in the first place.

Looking back at this round of head coaching hires in the NFL, it’s ridiculous to listen to the reasons given for why Bieniemy is passed over again and again (and again and again). That’s because many of this year’s hires completely undermine some of those very reasons.

One of the most common responses given by those who attempt to explain away Bieniemy’s lack of a job offer is about his impact. Specifically, it’s found in the inability to measure exactly what Bieniemy brings to the Kansas City Chiefs.

This round of NFL head coaching hires debunks any questions about measuring Eric Bieniemy’s impact.

Yes, the Chiefs offense has been one of the league’s best since Bieniemy took over as offensive coordinator for the Chiefs back in 2018. However, that year was also Patrick Mahomes‘ first season under center. Having the best quarterback in the game at the helm is going to make anyone and everyone look good, which means it’s hard to differentiate Bieniemy’s contributions from those around him.

The general explanation goes like this: if a team is unable to specify exactly what level of impact Bieniemy has had in Kansas City, then it makes it impossible to know what he could bring to a new team. That much might be true, but it’s an explanation that only sticks if applied widely to every other candidate. And this is where it all falls apart.

In K.C., there’s a question of just how much Bieniemy has been tasked with calling plays or crafting specific plans, and perhaps that’s a valid angle, but that hasn’t stopped any of the following:

The Denver Broncos, a team that actually interviewed Bieniemy this offseason, hired away Nathaniel Hackett from the Green Bay Packers even though he did not call plays.

The Minnesota Vikings are hiring Kevin O’Connell away from the L.A. Rams even though Sean McVay is the one calling the shots there. O’Connell was given practice calling plays in the preseason, a meaningless stretch that shouldn’t differentiate anyone here.

The Miami Dolphins just hired Mike McDaniel away from the San Francisco 49ers where, you guessed it, Kyle Shanahan calls the plays. In fact, McDaniel has only been a coordinator for a single season in his career—at the age of 38.

There is absolutely no way to quantify what McDaniel, O’Connell, or Hackett brought to their respective teams and yet apparently that wasn’t an issue to bringing in any single one of those candidates. Instead, they are somehow still tied to their offenses in meaningful ways while Bieniemy is forced to answer questions about what he could possibly have to add given the presence of Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce.

What’s so frustrating about any/all of this is just how little anyone else has to answer for their qualifications. Hackett doesn’t have to explain where he fit in Green Bay despite having Matt LaFleur, Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, et al. The same can be said of O’Connell when it comes to Sean McVay, Matthew Stafford, Odell Beckham, Jr., and Cooper Kupp.

If Bieniemy is somehow left out of this round, once again, of head coaching hires, we need to put this entire line of reasoning out with the garbage. Bieniemy is a part of the Chiefs offense and overall success and trying to quantify just how much is only a chore that he has to do while several other candidates (read: white) aren’t having to do any of the extra math. It’s insulting. It’s also wrong.