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Eric Bieniemy

Jets Spoke To Eric Bieniemy, Kliff Kingsbury, Luke Getsy About Staff Position

October 14th, 2024 at 6:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets are greenlighting another chance for Todd Downing beginning tonight. Fired after two seasons as Titans OC, Downing is the team’s emergency replacement for Nathaniel Hackett. While Hackett remains on staff, both Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich sought to demote him.

Saleh wrestled with this situation for much longer, being given a mulligan after Aaron Rodgers‘ Week 1 injury wrecked the Jets’ 2023 season. A January report indicated Saleh was looking to strip power from Hackett, who did not perform well (albeit with Zach Wilson back in the saddle) in his debut OC season with the Jets. Arthur Smith‘s name came up as reports of this effort emerged. As it turns out, the Jets looked into a few more experienced play-callers before ultimately sticking with Hackett.

Although no official OC search commenced, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports the Jets spoke with Eric Bieniemy, Kliff Kingsbury and Luke Getsy about a job that would have brought significant offensive responsibilities without an official title (subscription required). Though, Smith or one of these names signing on would have led to reduced Hackett responsibilities. This arrangement likely would not have gone over well with Rodgers, despite his recent willingness to accept his longtime friend being booted from the play-calling role, and would not have been especially appealing to coaching candidates with options.

Saleh sought an experienced staffer to help out, Russini adds, but did not have an OC title to offer. Rodgers’ presence almost definitely prevented Saleh from firing Hackett outright. Considering his job was on the line as well, Saleh being handcuffed to Hackett could certainly have generated tension between he and his quarterback.

Getsy, who worked with Rodgers (under Hackett) in Green Bay, received multiple interview requests following his Bears ouster. He ended up with the Raiders once Kingsbury’s negotiations broke down. Kingsbury reestablished momentum a year after his Cardinals firing, interviewing for the Bears, Eagles and Raiders’ jobs before maneuvering his way to Washington for the Commanders position. Bieniemy, the Commanders’ 2023 offensive coordinator, is now UCLA’s OC.

Woody Johnson approved the Hackett hire last year, as it became a gateway for the Jets to acquire Rodgers. The two worked together with the Packers from 2019-21, and Rodgers has consistently championed the embattled coordinator. He did so again this offseason. Hackett received criticism regarding his attention to detail last season, which unfolded largely without Rodgers, and the Jets have not improved at the level they expected despite the four-time MVP’s return from Achilles surgery. The Jets exited their London loss to the Vikings 25th in points and 27th in total offense.

Last week’s decision marks Hackett’s third in-season firing or demotion since 2018. As the Jaguars’ Blake Bortles extension skidded off track quickly, the team booted Hackett in November 2018. The Broncos canned Hackett 15 games into his HC stay; at the time, he joined only Urban Meyer as first-year coaches fired before season’s end in the past 40 years. Although Hackett is still on staff, this Jets demotion will restart a career nosedive for the second-generation coach. The Jets employed Paul Hackett as OC from 2001-04; the elder Hackett resigned following the ’04 season, which produced criticism early in the Chad Pennington era.

With Saleh gone and Nathaniel Hackett likely on the way out in New York, the remaining coaches from this Jets regime will attempt to keep their jobs under Ulbrich. Downing, a one-and-done Raiders OC who saw a DUI arrest lead to his Titans dismissal after two seasons, will lead the way in that effort.

WR Rumors: Chase, Diggs, Dotson, Steelers

September 4th, 2024 at 9:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ja’Marr Chase spent weeks holding in. Now, the All-Pro Bengals wide receiver continues to vacillate between a hold-in strategy and practicing. Wednesday marked a better sign for the team, as its top weapon suited up for what is considered its first game-week workout of the season. Of course, Chase returned to the sideline after having previously suited up. The extension-seeking player’s Thursday participation may be more indicative, given the inconsistency here, of his Week 1 availability.

Seeking a deal in Justin Jefferson territory, Chase is doing so with an organization that avoids the kind of guarantee structures the Vikings authorized for their top wideout. Mike Brown has said Chase is the team’s top non-Joe Burrow performer, but the longtime owner pointed to a 2025 deal being more likely. That said, a recent report indicated the Bengals intensified efforts to extend Chase late last week. Burrow said Wednesday that Chase is ready to play, via the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway, but stopped short of confirming he would.

The Vikings did proceed this way with Jefferson, with the sides cutting off talks before last season. While the Bengals and Chase continue to negotiate, it will be interesting to see how the team — which has bristled about needing to change its guarantee structure for Chase — goes near the guarantees Jefferson ($110MM) and CeeDee Lamb ($100MM) commanded. Jefferson also did not hold in last year.

The Bengals listed Chase as a limited practice participant. A mysterious injury would be a way for him to avoid playing — absent a new contract — in Week 1, but Cincinnati’s injury report lists the limited capacity as pertaining to rest. Here is the latest from a few NFL wide receiver situations:

  • Jahan Dotson‘s second Commanders season included a clash with then-OC Eric Bieniemy, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. Bieniemy’s style, as Ron Rivera pointed out last year, had brought a bit of a culture shock to several Commanders players. The longtime Chiefs OC is now in that position at UCLA. This year, teams began inquiring about Dotson’s availability after reading of Washington’s uncertainty beyond Terry McLaurin at receiver. The Commanders ended up making a rare trade with the Eagles, a pick-swap deal that brought back a 2025 third-rounder, to unload the 2022 first-round pick.
  • Missing out on Brandon Aiyuk, the Steelers have Van Jefferson and third-round pick Roman Wilson as their top George Pickens complementary options. The team also took a look at receiver/returner Jamal Agnew recently, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Agnew, who suffered a broken leg late in the 2023 season, has returned to full strength, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo. More than 10 teams have inquired about the converted cornerback’s status. The former All-Pro caught 90 passes during his recent three-year Jaguars tenure.
  • Preparing to being his Texans tenure, Stefon Diggs alluded to an effort to lead the Bills to trade him this offseason. The veteran receiver had said he was not surprised Buffalo did move him this offseason. “None of those teams wanted to get rid of me,” Diggs said, via GQ’s Clay Skipper. “Things had to shake because I kind of wanted them to shake.” The Bills moved on from Diggs, tiring of his antics, despite taking on a non-QB-record $31.1MM in dead money. The Texans then took the unusual step of removing the final three seasons from the wide receiver’s contract, making him a 2025 free agent-to-be. Diggs, who also made noise in an effort to leave Minnesota, has an opportunity to rebound after disappointing during the second half of last season in Buffalo.

UCLA To Hire Eric Bieniemy As OC

February 24th, 2024 at 9:14pm CST by Adam La Rose

Several changes took place on the Commanders’ sidelines this offseason, including Ron Rivera being replaced as head coach by Dan Quinn. The latter elected not to retain incumbent offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, leaving him with an uncertain coaching future. He has found his next opportunity, however.

Bieniemy is set to join UCLA’s staff on a two-year deal under the title of associate head coach/offensive coordinator, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Pete Thamel report. That report includes excerpts from an email Bieniemy sent to ESPN, in which he noted that he was not fired by the Commanders, and that he simply elected not to stay (though it is unclear whether he was given the chance to stay on as Washington’s OC under Quinn, or if he was asked to take a different position on the offensive staff).

“I have no regrets with the Commanders,” Bieniemy wrote. “Contrary to what some think and what has been put out in the media, I was not fired. I actually just chose not to stay. Learned a lot and that is always a good thing.”

Bieniemy will now work alongside DeShaun Foster, who succeeded Chip Kelly as head coach of the Bruins this winter. The move represents Bieniemy’s first NCAA coaching gig since he worked as Colorado’s OC from 2011-12, and it also marks a return to UCLA, where Bieniemy served as the school’s running backs coach for three seasons. The 54-year-old had been in the NFL since 2013, enjoying a successful run as Kansas City’s RBs coach and later offensive coordinator until 2022. He joined Rivera’s Commanders staff in a move which included play-calling duties.

Washington’s 2023 campaign was driven in large part by the decision to hand the reins to Sam Howell as the team’s starting quarterback. The 2022 fifth-rounder showed promise at times, but by the end of the season he found himself being benched mid-game on more than one occasion. Quinn and the Commanders will move forward with new OC Kliff Kingsbury and, in all likelihood, a signal-caller selected with the No. 2 pick in April’s draft as their new starter.

Despite a less-than-impressive showing in the nation’s capital, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz notes Bieniemy drew interest from a number of NFL teams for a new OC opportunity. He joined the Commanders on a two-year contract, leading some to believe he would simply take the 2024 season off before planning his next move. Instead, he will now hold a pivotal role at UCLA as the program transitions out of the Pac-12 and into the Big Ten.

The 2024 offseason has seen a steady flow of coaches leaving the college ranks and taking lesser positions with NFL staffs. Bieniemy – who has seven years of experience at the NCAA level and 16 in the NFL – will head in the opposite direction with this deal. His reputation as an offensive play-designer was established during his decade on the Chiefs’ staff, a tenure which included a pair of Super Bowl titles. He will now aim to boost his stock with at least a brief period at the college level before a potential NFL return.

NFC East Notes: Commanders, QBs, Bieniemy, Cowboys, Smith, Saban, Giants

February 17th, 2024 at 12:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Commanders centered their 2023 offseason on Sam Howell, who had played all of one game as a rookie. While the second-year passer showed some encouraging signs, the team was prepared to bench him for Jacoby Brissett late in the season. Howell did become the first Washington quarterback to go wire to wire as the starter since Kirk Cousins in 2017, but the team lost eight straight games to end the season. It remains likely the Commanders draft a QB at No. 2 overall rather than turn to Howell and perhaps another Brissett-level vet as competition, ESPN.com’s John Keim writes.

Washington held the No. 2 overall pick in 2020 but had just taken Dwayne Haskins in the 2019 first round. This effectively took them out of the Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert sweepstakes, joining the Giants (who had chosen Daniel Jones in 2019) in that regard. Washington then took Chase Young. Timing was an issue for the team then, but Howell’s presence — especially with a new owner, HC and football ops boss in town — is unlikely to represent a sufficient deterrent to impede a QB investment this year. Two years remain on Howell’s rookie contract.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

  • With the Commanders being the seventh team to hire a head coach, and not doing so until Feb. 1, Eric Bieniemy received confirmation he was out late during this year’s hiring period. The one-and-done Commanders OC signed a multiyear deal in 2023, and ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the former HC interview mainstay could well take a year off — as money will continue to come in from Washington — and regroup for a 2025 return to the sideline. Bieniemy, 54, may be off the HC radar; but the longtime Chiefs assistant could well resurface as an OC candidate — particularly given this position’s turnover rate in recent years — in 2025. The possibility the Chiefs bring him back, as they did Matt Nagy, also should not be discounted.
  • Over the past decade and change, the Cowboys have generally done well in the first round. They have landed a number of All-Pros — from Tyron Smith to Travis Frederick to Zack Martin to CeeDee Lamb to Micah Parsons — and a few other regular starters. Mazi Smith‘s trajectory is less certain to produce an impact player. Last year’s No. 26 overall pick played 304 defensive snaps as a rookie and logged only four in Dallas’ wild-card loss. Pro Football Focus rated the Michigan alum as one of the worst D-tackle regulars last season. The Cowboys were displeased Smith dropped around 20 pounds from his Combine weight (323) at points last season, per the Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken. Drafted as a player who could potentially anchor the Cowboys’ interior D-line, Smith has work to do. The Cowboys also have starter Johnathan Hankins due for free agency in a few weeks.
  • This can be field in the “what if?” department, but as the Giants interviewed Louis Riddick for their GM job — during the cycle that produced the Dave Gettleman hire — the ESPN talent/ex-NFL exec said (h/t Empire Sports Media’s Anthony Rivardo) he reached out to Nick Saban to gauge his interest in becoming the team’s head coach. The Giants interviewed Riddick in December 2017; the ex-Monday Night Football analyst had been up for a few GM jobs around that point. Riddick was also a defensive back during Saban’s tenure under Bill Belichick in Cleveland in the early 1990s. (Saban was the Browns’ DC from 1991-94.) The Alabama icon, who retired last month, was loosely connected to the Giants’ coaching job during the cycle that produced the Ben McAdoo promotion. Saban, who coached the Dolphins for two years (2005-06) before leaving for Tuscaloosa, was not interested in the Giants’ job during the cycle that ended with the Pat Shurmur hire in 2018.

Latest On Seahawks’ HC Decision; Eric Bieniemy On Radar For OC?

February 6th, 2024 at 3:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Fallout from the Seahawks and Commanders’ HC hires points to Seattle winning out, hiring Mike Macdonald despite Washington’s push. It took a six-year contract for the Seahawks to land the young defensive coordinator, but they are starting over after initially being connected to Dan Quinn.

Likely the Commanders’ fallback option during what turned into a complicated HC search that featured some notable Ben Johnson involvement, Quinn was the first name mentioned in connection with the Seahawks’ job. But the veteran staffer’s past with Pete Carroll may well have been an issue for the team. As the Seahawks sought a fresher option, Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline notes Quinn’s two stints under Carroll worked against him.

The team viewed Quinn as too similar to Carroll, per Pauline. Considering Quinn worked under Carroll in 2010 — after being added to the then-Jim Mora Jr.-led Seattle staff in ’09 — and then led the team’s defense from 2013-14, comparing Quinn to his former boss is understandable. The Seahawks led the NFL in scoring defense during both Super Bowl seasons under Quinn, and he reestablished his value with the Cowboys over the past three years. But he will be tasked with leading the Commanders now, as Macdonald is moving forward with assembling his Seahawks staff.

Quinn and Commanders front office boss Adam Peters informed Eric Bieniemy, following the team’s Kliff Kingsbury OC addition, he would not be retained. At this time last year, Bieniemy had been a Commanders target after five seasons as the Chiefs’ non-play-calling OC. Seeing HC interest decline in recent years and his first year as a play-calling OC produce a decline on offense in Washington, Bieniemy sits in limbo late in the hiring period.

The Seahawks should still be a team to watch in connection with Bieniemy, according to ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan, who connects the NFC West team to the veteran assistant for the OC job. The Seahawks have thus far been tied to new Alabama OC Ryan Grubb and Lions pass-game coordinator Tanner Engstrand for what will be a play-calling OC post. The Giants blocked the Hawks from interviewing OC Mike Kafka.

Bieniemy’s failure to land a head coaching job during his five-year run as Chiefs OC became one of this period’s defining coaching storylines. Bieniemy’s Washington departure also leaves the NFL with no Black offensive coordinators or offensive play-callers. This has been a longstanding issue for the league, even as four teams hired minority HCs during this year’s cycle. The three Black candidates hired — Antonio Pierce, Jerod Mayo, Raheem Morris — came from the defensive side. This pattern has shined a light on Bieniemy’s candidacy, but after the Commanders finished 25th in scoring offense and closed the season on an eight-game losing streak, their 2023 OC’s stock has dropped.

Additionally, the Seahawks will retain their defensive pass-game coordinator. Initially linked to following ex-Seattle DC Clint Hurtt to Philadelphia, Karl Scott will stay in Seattle, according to the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta. Scott has been the team’s DBs coach for the past two seasons, and while Condotta adds his role under Macdonald is unclear, the Seahawks will keep a Carroll assistant on that side of the ball.

The team is also hiring Kirk Olivadotti from the Packers, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. The son of former Dolphins DC Tom Olivadotti, Kirk has been an NFL assistant for most of the 21st century. Spending much of his career (16 years over two stints) with Washington, Olivadotti joined Macdonald on the Georgia Bulldogs’ staff from 2011-13. Olivadotti coached the Bulldogs’ linebackers in that span, while Macdonald was on the quality control level. After spending the past five seasons as the Packers’ ILBs coach, the 50-year-old assistant is expected to coach the Hawks’ linebackers.

Commanders Will Not Retain Eric Bieniemy

February 5th, 2024 at 9:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

When news of the Commanders’ Kliff Kingsbury hire came out, questions were raised about the future of incumbent offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. An answer has emerged regarding the latter, and he will not be in Washington for the 2024 campaign.

Bieniemy will not be retained, new head coach Dan Quinn said at his introductory press conference. As a result, the longtime Chiefs OC will once again be on the move after a single campaign spent in the nation’s capital. Kingsbury was brought in on Sunday, and he will take charge of Washington’s offense. Quinn added that he and Bieniemy spoke earlier today, and the former offered well wishes for the latter in his next NFL opportunity.

Bieniemy spent 10 seasons under Andy Reid in Kansas City, including five as offensive coordinator. That gig did not involve play-calling duties, but he did take on a position which involved full control of the offense last offseason by joining the Commanders. The move from a unit led by Patrick Mahomes to one featuring Sam Howell at quarterback, a suspect offensive line and a skill-position corps lacking in proven options (aside from wideout Terry McLaurin) led to questions about how much success Bieniemy would be able to have in 2023.

On the other hand, Ron Rivera was widely seen as a lame-duck coach entering the campaign, giving Bieniemy a potential avenue to a head coaching opportunity. Rivera was indeed dismissed at the end of the season, and owner Josh Harris confirmed Bieniemy would be a candidate to replace him. The latter interviewed with Washington, but he was not among the team’s list of finalists, putting his own future in doubt.

Quinn is now officially in place, and the Commanders are prepared to move forward with new-look coaching and front office staffs. The team’s offense will likely have a new quarterback as its focal point by the start of next season, as the Commanders hold the No. 2 overall pick. Kingsbury’s hire has led to speculation Washington could make a push to select USC’s Caleb Williams (with whom Kingsbury worked this season), though drafting the former Heisman winner remains a likely move on the part of the Bears with the top pick in April’s draft.

Regardless of how Washington moves forward, Bieniemy will now become a late entrant on the coordinator scene. A number of teams have already filled their OC vacancies. That includes the Raiders, who had an agreement with Kingsbury fall through and have since tapped Luke Getsy to lead their offense. Presuming Greg Roman‘s new Chargers position is confirmed to be offensive coordinator, only the Seahawks remain amongst teams with an opening which has not at least reportedly been filled.

The Commanders ranked 24th and 25th in total and scoring offense, respectively, this season. Those totals paint a different picture than the one which was in place earlier in the season (Howell led the league in passing at one point), and they of course will not help Bieniemy’s stock. Given his track record with the Chiefs – whose offense struggled without him, particularly early in the campaign – however, he could find a landing spot relatively soon.

Kliff Kingsbury Now Leading Candidate For Commanders’ OC Job; Latest On Raiders’ Options

February 3rd, 2024 at 10:32pm CST by Ely Allen

Quickly following news that the Raiders would not be closing the deal to make former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury their next offensive coordinator under now official head coach Antonio Pierce, rumors are circulating that Kingsbury is now the leading candidate for the same position in Washington, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. After spending 2023 as a senior offensive analyst at USC, Kingsbury’s return to the NFL seems inevitable at this point.

Two days ago, the NFL world was under the impression that Kingsbury would become the next offensive play-caller in Las Vegas. That story changed this morning with Kingsbury informing multiple people in the Raiders organization that he would not be joining the team. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, there was “a contractual hang-up” that prevented Kingsbury from following through on those initial reports, and as a result, the Commanders have swooped in, setting Kingsbury in their sights. Arizona Football Daily‘s Mike Jurecki adds that the Raiders offered a two-year contract, whereas Kingsbury was aiming for a three-year pact.

Washington makes sense for Kingsbury for a number of reasons. The Commanders recently landed on former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as their replacement for former head coach Ron Rivera. Quinn being a defensive coach puts the Commanders in a different situation than teams like the Titans or Panthers, whose offensive-minded head coaches will be calling plays over their respective offensive coordinators. Kingsbury will be handed the keys to a young offense, something he has experience with from his time in Arizona.

The Commanders also make sense because there seems to be a very real chance that the team could draft a former pupil of Kingsbury’s in USC quarterback Caleb Williams. Though Williams has long been rumored to be the No. 1 overall pick and the Commanders sit at No. 2, rumors have picked up recently that the Bears, who hold the top pick, will not be trading down. While that could mean Williams is headed to Chicago to try and displace Justin Fields as the starting quarterback, there have been an equal number of rumors stating that Williams wants nothing to do with the Bears, meaning he could slip down to No. 2 and end up a Commander being coached by his former mentor.

Kingsbury reportedly interviewed with the Commanders and Quinn recently, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, and though neither side seems to have settled on an agreement, both sides seem to be moving in the right direction.

As for Vegas, their search for their next play-caller under Pierce continues. UCLA head coach Chip Kelly, who had been a name to watch in Washington before this most recent news of Kingsbury’s prospects, and former Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy are names to watch, according to Jonathan Jones of NFL on CBS. Getsy was considered a top candidate for the position when Kingsbury was originally announced, and Kelly may shift focus to the Raiders if the Commanders do indeed shift theirs to Kingsbury.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN mentions that Las Vegas recently spoke to former Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, amounting to what could essentially be considered a coordinator exchange should Bieniemy land in Vegas and Kingsbury be hired in DC. He also mentions that the team spoke with former Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton but includes that Hamilton may just be in consideration for a position coaching job.

So, today’s breaking news from Vegas does create a bit of a shuffle, but both the Raiders and Commanders seem to have reacted quickly in the fallout. As a result, Washington could be closing in on their new play-caller, while Las Vegas continues to explore their options.

2024 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

February 1st, 2024 at 9:55am CST by Sam Robinson

The Commanders’ hire has wrapped this year’s cycle. Barring a team making an 11th-hour change, the 2024 HC carousel has come to a stop. The final breakdown produced five defensive coaches being hired compared to three with backgrounds on offense. Many teams are still searching for offensive and defensive coordinators, however.

Updated 2-1-24 (10:37am CT)

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

  • Jerod Mayo, linebackers coach (Patriots): Hired

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Commanders Not Considering Adding Bill Belichick, Mike Vrabel To HC Search

January 31st, 2024 at 12:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two Commanders HC candidates dropped out of the race Tuesday. Ben Johnson, the presumed favorite, informed the Commanders and Seahawks he would stay with the Lions. Bobby Slowik, who interviewed with Washington twice, is sticking with the Texans.

This could conceivably prompt the Commanders to expand their search. The Cardinals made this move last year midway through their search. Two big names remain available, in Bill Belichick and Mike Vrabel. The Commanders have not interviewed either candidate, being rumored early during this year’s carousel spin to be steering clear of Belichick. That has not changed, per Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano, who adds no indications have surfaced that Vrabel will be an 11th-hour candidate.

Regarding Belichick, Vacchiano indicates the team is leery about the six-time Super Bowl winner’s age (72 in April) and status working alongside a football ops president (Adam Peters) who has roster control. Belichick operated as the de facto Patriots GM throughout his 24-year tenure, and personnel power was believed to be an issue for the Falcons, the only team to interview the coaching icon during this cycle. Although Belichick is a Maryland native, internal questions as to whether he would want to oversee a rebuild have also emerged.

The Commanders’ reasoning for avoiding Vrabel is less clear, but the six-year Titans HC — who had been mentioned for weeks as a trade asset — looks likely to join his former coach in being shut out this year. Vrabel, 48, is well regarded around the league. But he has not interviewed for either of the two remaining HC jobs. The Seahawks have been connected to being interested in Vrabel, but they are now well into their second interviews. It would appear Seattle has determined to look elsewhere as well.

After Johnson and Slowik dropped out, only one candidate with an offensive background — Eric Bieniemy — remains in the mix for the Washington job. The 2023 Commanders OC is not viewed as a serious HC candidate, according to Vacchiano. After Bieniemy’s failure to land a head coaching job became a lightning-rod NFL topic during his Kansas City run, only Washington interviewed him this time around. The team’s offense struggled down the stretch, finishing with an eight-game losing streak and worse rankings worse than it did during Scott Turner‘s final season calling the shots.

That said, some around the NFL have wondered if the Commanders are still gauging Bieniemy’s fit with the next coach as an OC, Vacchiano adds. It would surprise if Josh Harris were to saddle his next HC hire with the OC Ron Rivera brought in, but Bieniemy does bring considerable experience to the table. Regardless of his shortcomings in HC interviews, the five-year Chiefs OC worked as Andy Reid‘s right-hand man during one of the NFL’s prolific offensive stretches. It would not surprise to see Bieniemy become a candidate to keep his job, but ownership insisting on him staying seems unlikely.

Many in the NFL expected Peters to pursue an offense-oriented coach after seeing how Kyle Shanahan revived the 49ers, Vacchiano adds, noting the team is likely to draft a quarterback at No. 2 overall. As it stands now, a defense-geared coach will be mentoring Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels — should the Bears stay on course and select Caleb Williams atop the draft — in 2024, while Belichick and Vrabel ponder their next moves.

As of Wednesday, no more interviews are scheduled. The Seahawks are interviewing Mike Macdonald for a second time today, while Dan Quinn is also a candidate for the Seattle job. Here is how the Commanders’ search looks:

Commanders Conduct HC Interview With Eric Bieniemy

January 21st, 2024 at 1:31pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Commanders have cast a wide net in their search for a new head coach, but it has been known since shortly after Ron Rivera‘s firing that Eric Bieniemy will have a chance to be promoted to the position. The latter has indeed formally interviewed with Washington.

[RELATED: Head Coaching Search Tracker]

Bieniemy met with the Commanders last week, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reports. The interview included owner Josh Harris and newly-hired general manager Adam Peters, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz adds. Both note the detailed nature of the meeting, which doubles as Bieniemy’s first known interview of the 2024 hiring cycle.

The longtime Chiefs OC joined the Commanders this past offseason in a move which included full-time play-calling duties and the added title of assistant head coach. Having stepped out of the shadow of Andy Reid, expectations were mixed for Bieniemy given his newfound control over the unit but also the decided lack of experience on the part of starting quarterback Sam Howell. The 2022 fifth-rounder was placed atop the depth chart throughout the lead-in to the campaign, one in which he flashed potential at times early on.

Toward the end of the campaign, however, Howell was lifted mid-game for Jacoby Brissett on multiple occasions, and he would have been benched if not for an injury on the part of the latter. The Commanders ultimately finished 24th in both total and scoring offense, and improvements across the board will be needed in the coming months to upgrade the unit. That could very well include a new quarterback being selected in April, as Washington holds the No. 2 pick.

The Commanders will have a new organizational structure in Harris’ second year at the helm. The team’s new head coach will answer to Peters. That setup could lend itself to a first-time HC getting the nod, but candidates with a wide range of experience have been interviewed already or received a slip from Washington. Once Peters became the choice for GM, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was named as a candidate to watch for the HC vacancy. The latter is indeed believed to be Washington’s top target.

Bieniemy’s status as an internal option for the posting means his interview does not relate to the Rooney Rule in Washington’s ongoing search. The team is required to speak with two external minority candidates before choosing its Rivera successor. Bieniemy is now, at a minimum, in the mix for consideration as things stand.

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