The Kansas City Chiefs are making moves-and not the kind fans necessarily expected.
On Monday, the team brought back a familiar face in Eric Bieniemy, hiring him as offensive coordinator for a second stint. Bieniemy previously held the role from 2018 to 2022, helping guide the Chiefs through some of their most explosive offensive years.
But after missing the playoffs for the first time in over a decade, many fans were hoping for a fresh voice outside of Andy Reid’s coaching circle. Instead, they got a return to familiarity.
Bieniemy replaces Matt Nagy, who had been in the running for the Tennessee Titans’ head coaching job before that position ultimately went to former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. While Bieniemy’s return might feel like a safe, continuity-based move, the Chiefs’ second hire of the day was anything but predictable-and it might just be the more important one.
Kansas City is reportedly bringing in veteran wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea to replace Conner Embree, who was let go earlier this month. O’Shea’s résumé brings both pedigree and perspective.
He started his NFL coaching career with the Chiefs back in 2003 under Dick Vermeil, but unlike most of Reid’s hires, he hasn’t been part of the current head coach’s coaching tree. His first major wide receivers coaching role came in 2007 with the Vikings under Brad Childress, a Reid disciple, but O’Shea has largely charted his own course since then.
And what a course it’s been. O’Shea spent a decade with the New England Patriots from 2009 to 2018, helping guide a receiving corps that contributed to three Super Bowl titles.
More recently, he served as the wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator for the Cleveland Browns under Kevin Stefanski. While Stefanski and his staff were let go after the season, he didn’t stay unemployed for long-he’s now the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
That quick turnaround speaks to the level of respect Stefanski and his staff, including O’Shea, command around the league.
For Reid and the Chiefs, this is a notable departure from the norm. Since Bieniemy’s initial promotion in 2018, Reid has leaned heavily on internal promotions and long-standing relationships to fill out his offensive staff.
Embree, for example, was elevated after two years as an offensive quality control coach, a common stepping stone in Reid’s system. Even Dan Williams, who succeeded Embree in that role, was recently named a wide receivers coach for the Senior Bowl-another sign that he was climbing the internal ladder.
There were other “familiar” options on the table, too. Greg Lewis, who coached Chiefs wideouts from 2017 to 2020 and running backs the following two seasons, might have been a logical candidate.
He spent 2023 with the Baltimore Ravens and is presumably available after the team parted ways with John Harbaugh. But instead of turning back to Lewis or promoting from within, Reid went outside the bubble.
That’s a signal-one that suggests Reid knows the wide receiver room needs a new voice. And it’s hard to argue with the timing.
The development of young talents like Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy is crucial. For Rice, 2026 will be a pivotal year to prove he can consistently reach the ceiling many believe he has.
And for Worthy, the team will need to make a decision on his fifth-year option after next season. O’Shea’s experience developing receivers in both structured and dynamic offenses could be exactly what this group needs.
There may also be a bigger-picture shift happening here. Reid, who will be 68 when the 2026 season kicks off, could be moving away from grooming young assistants and instead focusing on established voices who can deliver results now. That doesn’t mean he’s abandoning his coaching tree entirely, but it does suggest a more pragmatic approach as he enters the later stages of his career.
There’s also still a vacancy at running backs coach after the team parted ways with Todd Pinkston last week. One name to watch: Deland McCullough.
He coached the Chiefs' running backs from 2018 to 2020 and was with the Raiders last season. With Las Vegas undergoing another coaching overhaul, a reunion in Kansas City wouldn’t be shocking.
That said, the team could also look outside the system again, especially after Monday’s moves.
One lingering question: Will O’Shea also carry the “passing game coordinator” title he held in Cleveland? That role currently belongs to Joe Bleymaier, who’s been in the position since 2023. If Matt Nagy ends up taking another job-something that remains a possibility-Bleymaier could be a candidate to follow, which might open the door for O’Shea to take on more responsibility.
Bottom line: The Chiefs are entering a critical offseason, and Monday’s hires reflect both a nod to the past and a subtle shift toward the future. Bieniemy brings continuity, but O’Shea brings fresh perspective-and in a year where Kansas City is looking to bounce back, that balance could be exactly what they need.