The Washington Commanders are moving on from Eric Bieniemy. On Monday, Washington’s new head coach, Dan Quinn, confirmed Bieniemy won’t be part of his staff.
“I think he’s an excellent coach. I had a chance to visit with him today. We’ll continue that dialogue, but we’re not going to work together here. I wanted him to know I respect the work that he’s done. I wish him nothing but the best,” Quinn said during his introduction.
Bieniemy had one year remaining left on his contract. However, his future with Washington was clear by Sunday evening following the hire of the Commanders’ new offensive coordinator, Kliff Kingsbury.
Eric Bieniemy made a lateral move from Kansas City to Washington after five seasons as the Chiefs offensive coordinator. The Chiefs reached the AFC Championship Game in all five years as Bieniemy led the offense. Despite two Super Bowl titles in three appearances and helping develop Patrick Mahomes, the best quarterback of his generation, Bieniemy didn’t land a head coach opportunity.
He bet on himself by leaving Mahomes and Chiefs head coach Andy Reid behind. There was too much noise discrediting Bieniemy’s role in the success of the Chiefs. Bieniemy had to get from under the shadows of Reid and Mahomes. The Chiefs seemingly pushed him along his way.
Bieniemy settled on Ron Rivera and the Commanders. Going to Washington was questioned from the onset. Rivera was a lame-duck head coach on his final act to try and save his own job. The Commanders’ musical chair at quarterback landed on Sam Howell, a fifth-round pick who had one start as a rookie the season prior.
Some believed that if all failed, Bieniemy could at least prove to be a suitable successor to Rivera.
Howell showed flashes early on, but it was clear the learning curve would require more time. However, neither Bieniemy nor Rivera had time. The Commanders had new ownership come in just before the season in Josh Harris, Magic Johnson, and company.
After a 2-0 start, Washington lost 13 of its final 15 games. Howell got sacked an NFL-high 65 times, and his 21 interceptions threw were the most. Bieniemy’s chances of a head coach opportunity grew faint.
When Rivera got fired on January 8, some fans urged cry for Bieniemy to get promoted. The Commanders interviewed him for the head coach opening. Yet, as the search progressed, evidence was clear that Bieniemy would left out of another hiring cycle.
The chances of him staying in Washington were non-existent. Quinn, or whoever was the team’s next head coach, would choose their offensive coordinator.
Sometimes, perception is reality. Bieniemy had a chance to prove he was a play-caller. Unfortunately, the answer to that was debatable after the struggles of an offense that attempted the most passes of any team in the league. Yet, their star wide receiver, Terry McLaurin, had a down year with 1,002 yards and four touchdowns.
Howell didn’t target his top receiver enough. While Bieniemy got a heavy dose of the blame, the offense seemingly worked when veteran QB Jacoby Brissett spelled Howell. Brissett had a small sample size, but it was enough to question if Brissett was the best option for Bieniemy and Rivera.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs had its worst offense of the Mahomes era, finishing the season 15th in points and ninth in yards. Some pointed to the absence of Bieniemy. Others noted the growing pains of the Chiefs not having a reliable top wide receiver to offset All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce.
Those concerns got put in the rearview mirror as Mahomes and Chiefs marched to their sixth straight AFC Championship Game, earning its fourth Super Bowl appearance next Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.
Bieniemy must seek another opportunity elsewhere with his stock at its lowest. Offensive coordinator positions are filling up around the league. Aside from his struggles in Washington, Bieniemy must shake his aggressive coaching style, which was not accepted by all players at times in Kansas City and Washington.
Another narrative he must overcome. Bieniemy left the Chiefs for the Commanders looking to prove his capabilities. Unfortunately, he had everything to lose hatching onto a lame-duck regime.
Eric Bieniemy bet on Ron Rivera. He bet on Sam Howell. Ultimately, he bet on himself and suffered the biggest loss of his coaching career. The credibility he worked so hard through the years to establish, crumbled in one lousy season. His path back to restoration is unclear.
