Eric Bieniemy is just now getting to know some of the newer kids on the Kansas City Chiefs roster, but even those who are unfamiliar are quickly learning what he brings to the team.
Chiefs players are back at Arrowhead for the first official day of mandatory minicamp, and left tackle Josh Simmons spoke with reporters about Bieniemy's early impact and emphasis as the team's new offensive coordinator. "He's gonna bring it. He's intense and, the first meeting, I was ready to run into a wall, so I'm glad he's in the room. We definitely feed off it."
Bieniemy took over for Matt Nagy, who is now the New York Giants OC under new head coach Jim Harbaugh. The change has brought about a highly charged atmosphere of accountability, and Bieniemy's signature intensity is already making waves. For Simmons, it's a welcome arrival, as he's already plenty motivated to put in the work for his second season in the NFL.
Simmons' rookie season showed exactly what the Chiefs hoped to see from him when they selected him in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. In eight starts, SImmons looked the part of a franchise blindside protector for Patrick Mahomes after cycling through several starting options in the previous few seasons.
But there was a shadow side to Simmons' first season in the league, with a four-game absence for personal reasons followed by a wrist injury that sidelined him for another four. For a player who had already come back from a torn patellar tendon at Ohio State, it was another frustrating detour.
Simmons has moved beyond those things now. On Tuesday, he said the biggest difference this offseason is simply being available, which has helped him build greater strength and conditioning as he seeks to grow into a hoped-for 300-pound frame by Week 1. He says he's at 285-290 lbs. now. "Yeah, I'm not in a training room. I can actually get on the field, get in a film room and kind of just pick up more than just being in a training room."
The biggest focus for Simmons this offseason is his consistency. "I wasn’t as consistent as I wanted to be. I think a lot of people could see that so that’s something I’m hammering right now." When asked for specifics, Simmons said, "I would say making everything look the same—technique-wise, hand placement, stuff like that. "
Simmons believes consistency is the next step in his development, and a full offseason on the field instead of in the training room has finally given him the chance to focus on it. The Chiefs are counting on it as part of an offensive overhaul intended to rebound from a six-win season.
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