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Many Kansas City Chiefs fans might remember an article posted in mid-February that blew up on social media, as well as the internet.
Without getting into the specifics of what was said — because the claims went unverified and the story was since deleted — it involved season-long playcalling disagreements between Patrick Mahomes and OC Eric Bieniemy, as well as HC Andy Reid and former quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka. The bulk of the criticisms from the unknown source were centered around Bieniemy and his heightened role in 2021.
Supposedly, the relationship came to its boiling point in the AFC championship game, but many inside the building have since refuted this narrative. Today, Reid addressed the rumors for the first time at the NFL combine.
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Strong Statement From Reid
During his appearance at the combine, Reid made a point to set the record straight. Per Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star, the head coach stated boldly: “This whole thing with EB has gotten fabricated… We all get along. I want to put that to rest.”
Could there have been some sort of argument between the trio at some point in the heat of the moment? Of course, we’re talking about a football sideline here.
But if anyone is suggesting a season-long issue, Big Red shut that down immediately. This group has been calling plays together since 2018 and the results speak for themselves.
Plus, the Chiefs’ decision to re-hire Bieniemy only confirms the strength of those relationships.
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Player Reactions From Chiefs Team Leaders
While the exact truth may never be known, this show of support from Reid is in sync with the player reactions on Twitter, following the initial release of the story. Tyreek Hill voiced publicly: “Y’all really hating on EB, shiii he one of the best coaches in the building.”
Tyrann Mathieu also commented on a different portion of the article, that talked about the defense and secondary/cornerbacks coach Sam Madison. When asked if there were any disagreements with Madison, he wrote: “Never! Anybody saying that would never say that to my face!!! Whoever saying that is a sucker & probably mad cause they couldn’t do what was asked of them!”
Madison has since joined the Miami Dolphins coaching staff, and Kafka is now with the New York Giants. As mentioned above, Bieniemy has decided to return to Kansas City, however, which goes against any claims of strife between him and Mahomes.
The superstar quarterback has not commented on the story’s specifics but did tweet out a generalized statement that may have killed two birds — or rumors — with one stone on February 18.
If you rewind back to February 17, this article surfaced within 48 hours of another unsubstantiated claim, involving Mahomes’ younger brother and fiancée Brittany Matthews no longer attending games. The Chiefs QB stated, “y’all just be making stuff up these days,” which may have been in response to both rumors, not just the one involving his family.
In the age of social media, being first on a story sometimes outweighs the significance of being accurate and that should never be the case in journalism. It’s good to hear Big Red clear the air on these rumors once and for all.
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