Eric Bieniemy Remains Away From Chiefs Camp, Stays Connected Through Video Feeds
Eric Bieniemy still isn’t at Kansas City Chiefs training camp. But he hasn’t gone quiet, either.
The Chiefs offensive coordinator left camp in St. Joseph, Missouri, on July 27, a day after his wife, Mia Bieniemy, was shot at the couple’s home in Ashburn, Virginia. According to ESPN, the Bieniemys’ 27-year-old son, Elijah Zion Bieniemy, was arrested and charged with malicious wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, and discharge of a firearm inside a dwelling. His court appearances have been delayed pending a mental health evaluation, ESPN reported.
Mia Bieniemy, 57, was shot multiple times and hospitalized. Her condition has been improving since, head coach Andy Reid said last week, though Heavy.com reported that additional details about prior contact between Loudoun County authorities and the Bieniemy family in the weeks before the shooting have since surfaced.
There’s still no timetable for Bieniemy’s return. That’s the family’s call, not the team’s, and Kansas City has treated it that way from the start.
How Bieniemy Is Staying Involved From Afar
Pass game coordinator Joe Bleymaier has taken over Bieniemy’s day-to-day coaching duties, but Bieniemy hasn’t fully stepped away from the building. General manager Brett Veach told reporters the team set Bieniemy up with a live feed of practices so he can watch and analyze drills remotely, according to Fox News, which cited The Athletic’s reporting.
Bleymaier said Bieniemy has gradually resumed communication with the coaching staff. “It was great to hear from him just from a personal standpoint,” Bleymaier told reporters, per Yahoo Sports. “You were just so devastated for him.”
Veach framed Bieniemy’s presence, even remote, as part of how the coordinator holds the team accountable. “Every organization and every team and every player and each position group — everyone needs a kick in the ass,” Veach said, per Jesse Newell of The Athletic. “And so him being out there and hearing that voice, whether it be ‘Finish’ or ‘Alignment’ or whatever … he demands that you are buttoned up on your details, and that is a mirror image of coach and how he wants things run.”
Bleymaier, who’s covering the play-calling and coordinator duties in Bieniemy’s absence, described the standard Bieniemy set even before this month. “The guys want to be held accountable. They want someone to remind them what to do and not let anything slide,” Bleymaier said. “That’s the role of the coordinator.”
A Season Kansas City Needs Bieniemy For
The timing adds weight to an already pivotal camp. The Chiefs missed the playoffs last season for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era, and Kansas City brought Bieniemy back this offseason specifically to help fix an offense that stalled out. He previously ran that offense from 2018 to 2022, a stretch that produced two Super Bowl titles.
Kansas City also addressed its run game this offseason by signing free agent running back Kenneth Walker III away from the Seattle Seahawks. Walker, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, spoke to what Bieniemy’s voice means to the room even from a distance. “We’ll hold it down and when [Bieniemy] gets back, we’ll be ready to have that intensity and energy. That’s what I love most about him,” Walker said, per NFL.com. “You can’t take a play off, because he’s going to say something to you about it.”
Mahomes, who tore his ACL late last season, is expected to be healthy for Week 1. Kansas City opens its season September 14 at home against the Denver Broncos.
