The Kansas City Chiefs got good news both on and off the field on Monday as offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has rejoined the team after he was involved in a family emergency last month.
Bieniemy took a leave of absence after his wife, Mia Bieniemy, was shot by his son, Elijah Bienemy, on July 26. While his wife is still recovering from the incident and his son is still being held without bond as he faces multiple felony charges, Bieniemy was spotted by Matt Derrick of Chiefs Digest before Monday’s practice, getting a hug from Chiefs broadcaster Mitch Holthus on his way to the practice field.
The return is a good thing for the Chiefs and the Bieniemy family and it appears a difficult situation is beginning to clear as Kansas City ramps up its preparation for the 2026 season.
Mia Bieniemy’s recovery has allowed Eric Bieniemy to return to the Chiefs
The most important element is that Bieniemy’s return means his wife is recovering from the incident. Mia Bieniemy was shot in the forearm and shoulder and while she required surgery and was in the intensive care unit, she was out of the ICU on July 29 per ESPN’s Nate Taylor.
“She’s doing great,” Reid said of Mia Bieniemy last month. “She’s doing better and great from where she was. [She’s] out of the ICU unit and making progress, so we’re happy about that.”
Elijah Bieniemy faces felony charges of malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and discharging a firearm inside a dwelling and he is currently being held without bond and undergoing a mental health evaluation which has delayed his court appearances.
Police records also showed that Elijah Bieniemy had called authorities days before the incident to complain that his parents were withholding his firearms, leading his defense attorneys to state that he suffers from “significant mental illness” per Adam Kilgore and Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic.
Elijah Bieniemy’s legal issues should become clearer in the coming weeks and Mia Bieniemy is already progressing to the point that her husband can return to camp. The latter is a great off the field development and allows Eric Bienemy to hit the ground running with the Chiefs offense.
Eric Bieniemy should hit the ground running after return to Chiefs
Bieniemy is in his second stint as Chiefs offensive coordinator after leading the unit from 2018 to 2022. While the family emergency provided some challenges, Bieniemy kept up to speed using live streams and Zoom calls to watch practice and communicate with head coach Andy Reid and the rest of the offensive staff during his absence per Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports.
Chiefs passing coordinator Joe Bleymaier also took over Bieniemy’s duties during the opening weeks of camp. But with Bieniemy back and his wife recovering, the Chiefs have received good news on multiple fronts.
With Bieniemy back in person, he can get back to work to help the Chiefs rediscover their offensive identity after slipping to 21st in scoring offense (21.3 ppg) and 25th in yards per play (5.1) last season. But it’s also good news that Mia Bieniemy’s recovery is going well enough that Eric can return to camp.
It’s a situation where both sides appear to be moving forward and while the Chiefs will benefit, it’s also a big development for their offensive coordinator.
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