Insider Floats Big-Name Assistant as Next Raiders OC for Antonio Pierce’s Staff

Getty Eric Bieniemy hugging Josh Jacobs.

The Las Vegas Raiders just had their most impressive two-game stretch of the year with a 63-21 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15 and then a 20-14 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 16. While the defense has been playing at an elite level, the offense has been bad outside of the Chargers win.

For the second time in three games, the Raiders’ offense didn’t score a touchdown against the Chiefs. It appears that the offensive explosion against the Chargers was a fluke. The team is still averaging just 19.0 points a game, which is 25th in the NFL. Interim head coach Antonio Pierce likely earned the full-time head coaching job with a win over the Chiefs but who he hires as offensive coordinator will be very important. According to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, the Raiders should look to the Washington Commanders for their next offensive coordinator.

“Looking around at the staffs that are probably going to get fired, why not give Washington a call? See what’s going on with Eric Bieniemy,” Reed said on the December 22 episode of the “State of the Nation” podcast. “He played a role in the development of the best quarterback in the league, Patrick Mahomes. … If he doesn’t get any head coaching opportunities … he’ll probably be looking for another offensive coordinator job and if you can offer him a hefty sum, maybe an associate head coach role, then maybe that’s enough to get him to Las Vegas.”

Notably, Bieniemy spent 10 seasons with the Chiefs as a coach, including five seasons as their offensive coordinator. He was part of both of their Super Bowl teams before moving on to the Commanders this season.

Will Eric Bieniemy Get Head Coaching Job?

Part of the reason Eric Bieniemy went to Washington was to strengthen his chances of becoming a head coach. He didn’t call the plays for Kansas City and was able to do that with the Commanders. However, he only had second-year quarterback Sam Howell to work with, who leads the NFL with 17 interceptions.

The Commanders have averaged 20.6 points per game, which is 23rd in the NFL. Now, Bieniemy hasn’t had much to work with and Howell was playing well early in the season. However, Bieniemy’s chances of becoming a head coach this offseason are low considering things haven’t gone well in Washington. It’s possible that the strength of his resume in Kansas City will be enough for a team to give him the head job but he likely needs a bounce-back season before he’s back in the head coaching mix.

Is Eric Bieniemy a Good Fit With Las Vegas Raiders?

If Antonio Pierce does end up getting the head coaching job, Eric Bieniemy could make a lot of sense for the Raiders. He’s a strong personality who could take full ownership of the offense. Pierce’s strengths lie with the defense so he’d be able to keep his focus there.

That said, the Raiders would be wise to give Bieniemy a mobile quarterback to work with. He had his most success with Patrick Mahomes, who is very elusive with his feet. Current quarterback Aidan O’Connell doesn’t have any mobility and isn’t a great fit with Bieniemy. If the Raiders plan to draft a young mobile quarterback, Bieniemy would be a great addition to the coaching staff.