Eric Bieniemy: 2024 Bears Head Coach Scouting Report

Losing 41-10 was bad enough. Coughing up a 28-7 lead to lose 31-28 was a new kind of agony Matt Eberflus put Chicago Bears fans through on Sunday. He had no right losing that game against a terrible Denver Broncos team. Yet that is what bad teams and bad coaches do. They find a way to lose. The Bears need a new head coach. They can't justify keeping around somebody who isn't making players better. This team hasn't won a game in almost a full year. A replacement is needed. Enter Eric Bieniemy.

The longtime offensive coordinator has been on head coaching radars for years. Many are shocked he still hasn't gotten a job. Maybe 2024 is finally his time. Here's what he brings to the table.

Eric Bieniemy background:

A former 2nd round pick in 1991, Bieniemy spent nine seasons in the NFL as a running back and special teams player. He was part of the San Diego Chargers Super Bowl team in 1994. Fittingly, he became a running backs coach after he retired, making stops at Colorado and UCLA before the Minnesota Vikings came calling in 2006. He oversaw the development of Adrian Peterson into the best running back of his era. After a brief stint at Colorado as offensive coordinator, he joined the Kansas City Chiefs as running backs coach in 2013. Jamaal Charles had his best season that year, scoring 19 touchdowns.

A few years later, Bieniemy got a stellar season out of rookie Kareem Hunt in 2017. When Matt Nagy left for Chicago, he was promoted to offensive coordinator. In five seasons, his unit finished 1st, 6th, 1st, 3rd, and 1st overall. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw 192 touchdowns to only 48 interceptions, won two MVPs, reached three Super Bowls, and won two Lombardi trophies. However, after failing to get a head coaching job due to concerns he was an extension of Andy Reid, Bieniemy left to become offensive coordinator in Washington.

Good points:

The success Kansas City had from 2018 through 2022 speaks for itself. Lots of winning and lots of points. Where it gets interesting is the details. Start with Mahomes. He is off to the slowest start of any season in his career. Only eight touchdowns and four interceptions in four games. Is it a coincidence this happens right after Eric Bieniemy leaves? Then there is the Washington situation. The Commanders are 17th in points scored this season despite an inexperienced quarterback in Sam Howell.

They have scored 30 points or more in two of their last three games. Howell finished with just shy of 600 yards passing, three touchdowns, and no interceptions in those games. Bieniemy is well-traveled, having learned from several different coaches over the years. He also has a track record of winning everywhere he goes.

• He won a national championship in college at Colorado
• As stated earlier, he was on the 1994 Chargers Super Bowl team
• He helped Minnesota to the NFC championship in 2009
• Now he has two Super Bowl rings.

The guy tends to do a lot of winning.

Concerns:

At 54 years old, Bieniemy is on the older side. Most head coaches tend to be in the late 30s to mid-40s range. Longevity is always something teams hope for. He also suffered legal issues when he was younger, including bar fights and harassing women. Teams always consider character, even if he hasn't had any problems for a long time. There is also the ongoing rumor that he interviews poorly, which raises questions about his ability to handle responsibilities beyond Xs and Os.

One cannot ignore the Reid connection. Everybody remembers what happened with Nagy. He was a disaster once outside that umbrella. Bieniemy knew the stigma wasn't going away, so he left. He's interviewed for 16 jobs. It can't be a coincidence that he's been passed over that many times without at least one good reason. Maybe teams are seeing red flags unavailable to the public. Something to consider.