The Kansas City Chiefs are officially out of the playoff picture for the first time since 2014, and for the first time in his career, Patrick Mahomes won’t be playing postseason football. That 16-13 loss to the Chargers on Sunday didn’t just end their season - it marked the end of an era that had grown almost routine: Kansas City in January, Mahomes under the lights, and the rest of the league trying to figure out how to stop them.
But this year, something’s been off. The defense held up its end of the bargain more often than not, but the offense - once a relentless machine - sputtered far too often. And now, the conversation is turning to a name that hasn’t been on the Chiefs’ sideline since 2022: Eric Bieniemy.
On The Right Time with Bomani Jones, the veteran NFL analyst didn’t mince words. “It ain’t really looked the same over there in Kansas City since he left,” Jones said. And he’s not wrong - the drop-off has been noticeable.
Bieniemy’s departure from Kansas City came after years of being a central figure in the Chiefs' offensive dominance. From 2018 to 2022, Kansas City averaged a league-best 30.1 points and 406.2 yards per game.
That wasn’t just elite - that was historic. With Bieniemy helping shape the offense, the Chiefs made three Super Bowl appearances and won two of them, going 64-18 in the regular season during that stretch.
He wasn’t just a clipboard holder. Bieniemy was a commanding presence on the sideline, a vocal leader who knew how to challenge Mahomes, hold the offense accountable, and keep the unit sharp. And while head coach Andy Reid and Mahomes certainly deserve credit for Kansas City’s success, Bieniemy’s fingerprints were all over that offensive identity.
After leaving the Chiefs, Bieniemy took an assistant role with the Washington Commanders, a move that many viewed as a stepping stone toward a head coaching job. That didn’t pan out - the Commanders struggled to a 4-13 season, and Bieniemy wasn’t retained.
But he didn’t sit still for long. In February 2024, he joined UCLA as associate head coach and offensive coordinator, and later that year, he landed with the Chicago Bears as their running backs coach.
And here’s where things get interesting again.
Since joining the Bears, Bieniemy has helped reshape their ground game into one of the most dangerous rushing attacks in the league. Chicago now ranks second in rushing yards per game (151.9), trailing only the Buffalo Bills.
That’s not a coincidence. His ability to maximize talent and scheme effectively - especially in the run game - has turned the Bears’ offense into a legitimate threat in a competitive division.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs have struggled to find consistency without him. The offense has lacked rhythm, the play-calling has been uneven, and Mahomes hasn’t had the same level of support from the scheme that once made him nearly unstoppable.
It’s not to say Bieniemy was the only reason for Kansas City’s success - but his absence has been felt. And as the Chiefs head into an uncharacteristically early offseason, the questions about how to get the offense back on track are going to get louder.
One thing’s clear: the Chiefs were a different beast when Bieniemy was in the building. And right now, they’re missing that edge.