(Getty) Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy
With the NFL regular season heading down the final stretch into December, hiring season is just a few weeks away. Among the most sought-after head coaching candidates will be Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who will go through the interview process for a third consecutive year.
Winners of six straight, the defending Super Bowl champs head into a Week 13 divisional showdown with the Denver Broncos at 10-1 and in the chase for the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-round playoff bye.
If Kansas City successfully locks in the top spot by season’s end, potential suitors may have a brief window of opportunity to speak to the third-year coordinator, similar to the approach taken by the Carolina Panthers and New York Giants last year.
Follow the Heavy on Chiefs Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content out of Chiefs Kingdom!
Bieniemy & Ex-Chiefs GM a Package Deal?
According to FanSided national NFL columnist Matt Lombardo on Wednesday, teams looking to hand their head coaching reins over to Bieniemy this offseason may need to satisfy an important condition first: hiring veteran executive John Dorsey as their next general manager.
Executives and sources around the league tell FanSided that former Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns general manager John Dorsey will likely be among the most sought after GMs, and it’s highly likely that he’ll be bringing Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy with him as head coach.
Lombardo also notes that it could be Dorsey’s situation, not Bieniemy’s, that could dictate where Andy Reid’s top offensive assistant lands next.
Bieniemy will likely once again be on the short-list of any team looking for a head coach. But, if and when Dorsey gets a job, Bienemy’s interview has the chance — for once — to be a mere formality.
Three situations that sources around the league believe could be ideal fits for a Dorsey-Bieniemy partnership are the Houston Texans (the chance to work with quarterback Deshaun Watson), the Jacksonville Jaguars (stable, patient ownership, and the possibility of molding a team around Justin Fields), and the Atlanta Falcons (one of the NFL’s most respected owners, a dynamic offense, and quarterback who still has some upside).
Dorsey, 60, most recently served as the general manager of the Cleveland Browns from 2017-19, but also spent four seasons around Bieniemy in the same role with the Chiefs between 2013 and his eventual dismissal in June 2017.
Among his most notable contributions during that span were the free agent signing of RT Mitchell Schwartz and the decision to trade up in the 2017 NFL Draft to select QB Patrick Mahomes.
Chiefs Stand to Gain Draft Picks for Losing Bieniemy
It’s not every day that an NFL franchise is eligible to receive assets in return for simply losing personnel to the traditional hiring process, but a recent rule change could make that a reality for the Chiefs.
The new resolution, which was officially approved by NFL owners on November 10, aims to establish a system “that rewards clubs for developing minority employees who move to the position of Primary Football Executive or Head Coach with other clubs.”
Teams losing an eligible employee now stand to receive a third-round compensatory draft pick in each of the following two drafts for a hired head coach or general manager, or a third-round compensatory pick in the ensuing three drafts should they have two employees hired for both positions.
The Chiefs currently have eight picks to their credit in 2021:
The bottom line: Should the organization finally lose Bieniemy this offseason, they will immediately net another potential top-100 selection at the back end of Round 3 in 2021, plus an additional third-rounder in 2022.
What’s more, because compensatory picks are eligible to be traded, Chiefs current general manager Brett Veach could benefit from some added flexibility should he want to move up or down the board next April.
ALSO READ: