Getty Head coach Matt Nagy of the Chicago Bears reacts during the second half against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on October 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
Recently fired Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy might not have to wait long to get back into NFL coaching in a big way.
Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator (OC) Eric Bieniemy was passed over again this cycle, falling short of a head coaching position despite nine openings for the job across the league. But that doesn’t necessarily mean Bieniemy is headed back to Kansas City next season, and if he isn’t, Nagy will be among the top candidates to succeed him.
Aaron Wilson, of Pro Football Network, reported Tuesday, February 8 that Nagy is one of a couple potential coordinators that Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has on his mind should he need a replacement for Bieniemy in 2022.
“Because Mike Kafka was hired as the New York Giants‘ offensive coordinator, coach Andy Reid may need replacements for him and Bieniemy,” Wilson explained. “Former Chiefs offensive coordinator and Chicago Bears coach Matt Nagy is high on Reid’s list of potential replacements, per sources. In addition, Reid is intrigued by Kentucky offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Liam Coen.”
ALL the latest Bears news straight to your inbox! Subscribe to the Heavy on Bears newsletter here!
Former Bears Coach Nagy and Chiefs Coach Reid Have Long NFL History
GettyKansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid on December 16, 2021.
Nagy and Reid have been together ever since the former got into the business of professional coaching, save for his four years as the lead man in Chicago.
Reid hired Nagy as a coaching intern with the Philadelphia Eagles back in 2008. Nagy joined Reid as the quarterbacks coach when he made the jump to Kansas City in 2013. Reid elevated Nagy to co-offensive coordinator in 2016, let him fly solo on the job in 2017 and then the Bears came calling one year later.
Should Nagy reunite with Reid and the Chiefs, he will become Bieniemy’s successor after having served as his predecessor, as well.
Bieniemy Could Look to Leave Kansas City This Offseason
GettyQuarterback Patrick Mahomes (right), of the Kansas City Chiefs, talks with offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy (left) during the AFC Championship Game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Arrowhead Stadium on January 30, 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri.
Bieniemy teamed up with Reid and Nagy in Kansas City in 2013, serving then as the running backs coach. Reid chose to elevate Nagy to the OC position first, as Bieniemy remained with the running backs for five seasons, through 2017. He took over for Nagy when he departed for Chicago, and Bieniemy has served in the OC role for four years to the tune of incredible success.
The Chiefs led the NFL in points scored during Bieniemy’s first year at the helm, were second in 2019, finished sixth in 2020 and ended up fourth in 2021. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has also become a perennial MVP candidate as Kansas City has appeared in four straight AFC Championship Games. Furthermore, the team earned back-to-back Super Bowl trips during that span, besting the San Francisco 49ers in 2019 to win just the second championship in franchise history.
However, despite all Bieniemy’s success in Kansas City, he has yet to get the nod as the head coach of an NFL team. The New Orleans Saints did meet with Bieniemy for eight hours on Sunday, per a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, but ultimately decided to promote their defensive coordinator Dennis Allen as a replacement for the team’s former head coach Sean Payton.
There are notions that the primary reason Bieniemy can’t get a serious look is that he is African-American and that the NFL is permeated by the problem of systemic racism. Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores and his legal team cited the instances of Bieniemy being passed over for head coaching consideration on page 45 of a class action civil suit filed against the NFL and three of its teams — the Dolphins, the Giants and the Denver Broncos — alleging discriminatory hiring practices.
Others have put forth a different argument around the facts that Bieniemy is not primarily responsible for the Chiefs’ offensive play designs or the team’s play calling duties, both of which have largely fallen under Reid’s purview during their shared time in Kansas City, per Sporting News.
Now Bieiemy’s contract is up and he may want a different challenge — perhaps one where no doubts can be sown as to his level of contribution toward an offense’s success. Tom Pelissero, of the NFL Network, took to Twitter on Monday to explain Bieniemy’s contract situation.
#Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s contract is expiring, per sources.
So after getting passed over for head coaching opportunities again, Bieniemy could either return to Kansas City or be a hot free-agent OC target elsewhere.
“#Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s contract is expiring, per sources,” Pelissero wrote. “So after getting passed over for head coaching opportunities again, Bieniemy could either return to Kansas City or be a hot free-agent OC target elsewhere.”