Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said Wednesday that he is disappointed by the fact that he has yet to receive an offer to be the head coach of an NFL franchise despite being considered for numerous positions over the last few years.

However, he also told reporters that he doesn't want anyone's pity entering his fifth season as Kansas City's offensive coordinator.

"In reality, it's tough, Bieniemy said. "But I don't let that keep me from doing what I do. I'm still alive, I'm breathing and I have an opportunity to work for a championship team. That's the beauty of it.

"I don't want any pity. This is who I am. I'm going to keep pushing, keep knocking because when it's all said and done with, I know who I am and I am comfortable with the person I'm striving to be.''

Bieniemy was also asked what more he needs to do to land a head coaching position and noted that he's "just got to go get it:

I'm not seeking any comfort. I haven't gotten it for whatever reason. It (doesn't) matter. I'm going to keep knocking on that door and I'm going to keep working my ass off to make sure that it happens. My job this year is to make sure we take care of business that needs to be taken care of today to help us achieve the goal down the road. And then it's time for me when it's presented to just go and get the job.

Bieniemy's comments come just one week after former NFL running back LeSean McCoy said on the I Am Athlete podcast that the Chiefs OC hasn't been hired as a head coach because teams "know what type of coach he really is."

One day later, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid defended Bieniemy while speaking with reporters.

“Sometimes it’s hard on a veteran player,” Reid said. “Maybe their performance level isn’t what it used to be, and it’s hard to take sometimes. But [Bieniemy is] going to push you to try to maximize what you’ve got. That’s one of his strengths. . . . He’ll come in and shoot you straight. Sometimes you want to hear it. Sometimes you don’t.”

Bieniemy has interviewed for numerous head coaching jobs over the last few years. In January 2021, he interviewed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, Los Angeles Chargers, Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions and the Houston Texans. All of those teams passed on him.

The 52-year-old also interviewed for the New Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos' vacancies this offseason, but both teams opted to go in a different direction, hiring Dennis Allen and Nathaniel Hackett, respectively.

It's somewhat surprising that Bieniemy has yet to land a head coaching job as he has led one of the league's best offenses since taking over as Kansas City's offensive coordinator in 2018.

For starters, both Doug Pederson and Matt Nagy, who served as Kansas City's offensive coordinators under Reid before Bieniemy, went on to become head coaches. Nagy joined the Chicago Bears, though he was fired after the 2021 season, and Pederson was hired by the Philadelphia Eagles, though he was also fired and has since been named head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In addition, the Chiefs' offense has never finished lower than sixth in yards and points under Bieniemy. If his offense is once again toward the top of the league in 2022, there's little doubt he'll be a head coaching candidate in the 2023 hiring cycle.

Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany, announced Sunday they're expecting their second child.

Round 2! 🤍 @BrittanyLynne pic.twitter.com/QrkECqGyka

— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) May 29, 2022

We're gonna need some more teal❗️

Congratulations to Co-Owner @BrittanyLynne and her husband @PatrickMahomes on the announcement of their second child 😍 pic.twitter.com/auYuvBgtre

— KC Current (@thekccurrent) May 29, 2022

Brittany gave birth to their first child, Sterling Skye, in February 2021.

Patrick and Brittany Mahomes began dating in high school, carrying the relationship on through the former's college career at Texas Tech and into his NFL career with the Chiefs. They became engaged in September 2020 and were married in March in Hawaii.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid stood up for offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy on Friday in the wake of critical comments made by retired former Chiefs running back LeSean McCoy.

Appearing this week on the I Am Athlete podcast, McCoy gave his thoughts on Bieniemy and why he has yet to land an NFL head coaching job, saying:

"Listen, because some players he talks to them a certain way and some players would take it. I wouldn't take it, like 'Whoa.' ... That's the reason why that every year they hype him up to get a job, and then when the time comes, nobody hires him because they know what type of coach he really is."

Per ProFootballTalk's Michael David Smith, Reid suggested McCoy's frustration came from a place of struggling to acknowledge his own diminished skills rather than anything Bieniemy did:

"Sometimes it's hard on a veteran player. Maybe their performance level isn't what it used to be, and it's hard to take sometimes. But [Bieniemy is] going to push you to try to maximize what you've got. That's one of his strengths. ... He'll come in and shoot you straight. Sometimes you want to hear it. Sometimes you don't. ...

"I'm a big LeSean fan. In my eyes, he's a future Hall of Fame running back. If you look at it statistically, he's tremendous. But he wasn't the youngest pup in the kennel here. He was on the back side and sometimes that's hard to take."

McCoy, who retired in October at the age of 33, spent just one season with the Chiefs in 2019.

Shady appeared in 13 regular-season games for the Chiefs in 2019, rushing for 465 yards and four touchdowns, and maintaining a strong 4.6 yards-per-carry average. He also made 28 catches for 181 yards and a score.

Despite his solid play, McCoy dressed for only one game during the Chiefs' playoff run and didn't record a touch en route to Kansas City winning the Super Bowl.

McCoy found himself in a similar situation the following year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as he appeared in 10 regular-season games before dressing for only two playoff games and having no touches during the Bucs' road to winning the Super Bowl.

While McCoy won Super Bowl rings in his final two seasons, his great years from a production standpoint were with the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills with whom he achieved six Pro Bowl nods and two first-team All-Pro selections.

McCoy clearly wasn't the same player in his later years, although he did seem to have something left in the tank in KC, which was why his phasing out from the offense was something of a head-scratcher.

Shady appears to blame Bieniemy for that, but Reid has nothing but respect for his longtime assistant, saying: "You see the love that the players have for him. He's got all these guys standing up for him and saying positive things. He's a heck of a football coach and I'm disappointed that he hasn't had a chance and optimistic that he's going to have one in the future."

Bieniemy joined the Chiefs as running backs coach in 2013 and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2018. Since becoming OC, he has presided over one of the NFL's elite offenses.

Because of that, Bieniemy has received several head coaching interviews, but teams have ultimately passed on him for other candidates.

The true reason for that remains unclear, but if the Chiefs offense continues to produce at its recent rate with quarterback Patrick Mahomes at the controls, it is likely only a matter of time before Bieniemy gets his opportunity.

Patrick Mahomes redefined how everyone looks at the quarterback position. His ability to make off-platform throws, create outside of structure and disassociate his body mechanics to complete improbable passes serve as the standard-bearer for what the NFL wants at the position, even if it's an impossible standard.

The scary part? The 2018 league MVP is still evolving, and a slightly different version of Mahomes should appear this fall. 

He must change, because his supporting cast dictates he do so. The 26-year-old needs to be a distributor as much as, or more than, serving as a playmaker. He'll be asked to serve as a point guard on grass. 

The four-time (and counting) Pro Bowl quarterback doesn't have the same luxury within the Chiefs scheme as he previously did. Tyreek Hill is no longer a member of the organization after it traded the standout target to the Miami Dolphins for first-, second- and fourth-round picks in the 2022 draft as well as fourth- and sixth-rounders next year. 

Hill's on-field presence is unlike any other player's. He defines "game-changing speed." Mahomes and Hill connected on a different level because they could bail each other out on a consistent basis. 

The designed play isn't working? Oh well, let's chuck it up to Hill and he'll outrace anyone to the ball. 

While that's oversimplification of how the connection worked, Mahomes now lacks the same safety net with this crop of wide receivers. 

"A once-in-a-generation type of player has left the team, so somebody's got to step up and fill a role," Mecole Hardman said Tuesday, per ESPN's Adam Teicher. "... I just want to be better than I was last year, get better as an overall receiver, kind of establish my name a little bit more. Catching the ball, running routes, yards after catch, everything I'm trying to improve on."

Plenty of talented options reside in K.C. 

Hardman brings a certain element of speed, even if he's not nearly as dynamic as Hill. The organization signed JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Josh Gordon returns for another season. The Chiefs took Skyy Moore in the second round and then signed Justyn Ross as an undrafted free agent. 

Each brings a different skill set to the group.

Beyond Hardman, who was a 2019 second-round pick, Smith-Schuster is a 25-year-old target with a 1,400-yard campaign in his back pocket. The former Pittsburgh Steeler didn't play as well without Antonio Brown in the lineup, but he's a capable slot receiver.

Valdes-Scantling is a straight vertical threat who's posted an average of 17.5 yards per catch throughout his career. Gordon is one of the most naturally gifted wide receivers to ever enter the NFL ranks. When he's committed to the game and not suspended, he's a true X-receiver.

Moore is an intriguing rookie who can play multiple positions and creates after the catch. Ross, meanwhile, is another tall, lanky outside threat with first-round ability but went undrafted because of concerns over neck surgery. 

Of those mentioned, Ross may be getting the most hype coming out of organized team activities. 

Mahomes told reporters Thursday:

"Yeah, I mean, you still see the talent. I think that's the first thing. ... He snatches it—there's no drops or anything like that. Now it's about him learning the NFL offense. ... You've seen those flashes of how talented he can be. And then you've seen times where he's just barely off of what we wanted. And he learns from that, he doesn't make that same mistake.

"And so, the more and more reps that he gets, I can only imagine how good he's going to be because of the talent he possesses."

To be fair, OTAs are set up to let rookies shine as they get their feet under them, and not all veterans are present. Even so, Ross is a high-profile addition despite going undrafted because of his circumstances coming out of Clemson. The Chiefs should be excited about his potential even as an undrafted signee since his talent was never in question. 

None of the options may be as singularly talented as Hill, nor should they be expected to completely fill his shoes. The Chiefs and Mahomes have to adjust. In doing so, the quarterback must consistently distribute the ball to all of his targets instead of keying on specific options. 

Last season, Hill and tight end Travis Kelce combined for 293 targets. Kelce remains one of the league's best tight ends, and his standing within the offense shouldn't change. The utilization of those around him will. 

Beyond Hardman and Hill, no K.C. receiver received more than 60 targets. Byron Pringle signed a free-agent deal with the Chicago Bears this offseason. Demarcus Robinson left to join the Las Vegas Raiders.

The passing game falls on the quarterback to look at availability based on pre- and post-snap reads. Mahomes understands it's a group effort, with him leading the way. He told reporters Thursday:

"That's what you're going to see with this offense this year. It's going to be everybody. It's not all going to be one guy. Obviously [Travis Kelce] is still going to get a lot of completions, a lot of yards but the whole receiving room is going to have big days and that can be something we use to our advantage.

"It's a very deep receiving room. It's hard to tell which guys are going to make it because we've got so many good receivers. That's what you want. You want that competition. You want guys competing every single day to make the roster because they're going to help us in the end."

Mahomes' acknowledgement shows how the offense will become more role-based. As Hardman stated, Hill is a special talent. Multiple receivers will pick up the slack in different areas where the previous WR1 excelled. Mahomes knows this and expects it from specific receivers, starting with Hardman. The quarterback told reporters Tuesday:

"For me, it's for him to just continue to be himself. He doesn't have to be Tyreek Hill. He has to be Mecole Hardman, and I think Mecole Hardman can be a great player in this offense. ... He can keep getting better and better. Everybody puts out there he's got to replace Tyreek. I think he can be his own player, a Pro Bowler and a great player in this offense as well. I think just him continuing to evolve, play hard and practice hard, he'll have a great season this year."

Head coach Andy Reid agreed. 

"Mecole has the speed like a Tyreek had. Different player but like what Tyreek had," Reid stated. "He gives you a nice skill set there with the speed and quickness and ability to run when the ball is in his hands. He's a very aggressive runner when the ball is in his hands. You find ways to do that in a variety of different ways."

Different skill sets are important. If Mahomes is the point guard, the wide receivers form the rest of his basketball team. They each need to do something unique to bring value, much like a power forward is different than a shooting guard. 

If Hardman brings speed, Valdes-Scantling serves as an outside vertical threat and Smith-Schuster works primarily from the slot, then this year's 54th draft pick, Moore, is the player Mahomes wants to get the ball into his hands early and let him work. 

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said May 16, per Teicher:

"Skyy is unique. He is smaller, but he plays big. He has longer arms. He was a running back that transitioned to wideout. It was funny watching his tape because it seemed like we were watching forever before we saw him drop a pass.

"We have guys like MVS [Marquez Valdes‐Scantling] that has some size and speed, Mecole [Hardman] has speed, JuJu [Smith‐Schuster] is big. So I feel like we have a good combination and now we just wanted to add the best player, regardless of size or height, just guys that we feel are going to come in and be able to contribute right away. Certainly, Skyy is one of those guys."

Few talents supersede scheme. The maximization of a player's skill set ultimately determines whether an individual is successful. The Chiefs are fortunate to have one of football's all-time great play-designers as their head coach and a quarterback behind center capable of making any throw from any angle. 

In the end, the responsibility falls on Mahomes. He must enter this season with a changed mentality, because his ability to place the football in the right spot at the right time will determine how successful the Chiefs offense will be with its shifting group of wide receivers. A more efficient operator instead of a highlight-reel-maker—though those moments will surely come—is necessary for Kansas City to remain counted among the league's offensive elite. 

        

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.

The Kansas City Chiefs traded superstar wideout Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins this offseason, but quarterback Patrick Mahomes believes in the team's depth. 

He told reporters Thursday:

"That's what you're going to see with this offense this year. It's going to be everybody. It's not all going to be one guy. Obviously [Travis Kelce] is still going to get a lot of completions, a lot of yards but the whole receiving room is going to have big days and that can be something we use to our advantage."

The 32-year-old Kelce, a seven-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer who caught 92 passes for 1,125 yards and nine touchdowns last season, will lead the way.

The bigger question is how a less-proven group of wideouts will replace Hill. 

Free-agent signings JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, second-round pick Skyy Moore and undrafted free agent Justyn Ross will join Mecole Hardman and Josh Gordon in a revamped receiver group. 

Ross went viral this week for a one-handed catch at organized team activities. 

Craziest part about this was dude acted like this was normal after he caught it…@_jross8 https://t.co/KuJ4a8DEPu

— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) May 25, 2022

"It's a very deep receiving room. It's hard to tell which guys are going to make it because we've got so many good receivers," Mahomes said. "That's what you want. You want that competition. You want guys competing every single day to make the roster because they're going to help us in the end."

But of that group, only Smith-Schuster (2018) and Gordon (2013) have ever played in a Pro Bowl. Hill has been selected to six and is arguably the NFL's most dangerous playmaker at the position. 

While Hill caught 111 passes for 1,239 yards and nine scores last season, the four Chiefs receivers who played in the NFL last year combined for 105 catches for 1,284 yards and six scores (though it should be noted that Smith-Schuster only played five games due to a shoulder injury).

So the Chiefs will have to change their offensive philosophy. Without Hill, their attack is simply going to be less threatening. As long as they have Mahomes, though, no defense will enjoy facing Kansas City.

It appears former NFL running back LeSean McCoy is not a fan of Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. 

During an appearance on the I Am Athlete podcast, McCoy said Bieniemy hasn't been hired as a head coach in the NFL because of his coaching ability, not because of his race.

McCoy also called out how Bieniemy interacts with players and added that he is the reason he stopped playing for the Chiefs. 

"... Listen, because some players he talks to them a certain way and some players would take it," McCoy said. "I wouldn't take it, like 'whoa.' ... That's the reason why that every year they hype him up to get a job, and then when the time comes, nobody hires him because they know what type of coach he really is."

https://twitter.com/IAMATHLETEpod/status/1529851415501455368

McCoy spent the 2019 season with the Chiefs after splitting the first 10 years of his career between the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills. He appeared in 13 games that season, rushing for 465 yards and four touchdowns in addition to catching 28 passes for 181 yards and one score. 

The 33-year-old played just 35 percent of Kansas City's offensive snaps during the 2019 campaign and was a healthy scratch for one game after head coach Andy Reid said he wasn't "getting any younger" and needed some time off for load management.

McCoy appeared to blame Bieniemy for his diminished role, though Reid did make a good point that the veteran running back wasn't nearly as effective at 31 years old, which is likely why he saw less playing time. 

That said, former Chiefs safety Ron Parker responded to McCoy's comments, essentially saying he should have kept his thoughts to himself. 

https://twitter.com/ghost_0836/status/1529880757254164480

As for Bieniemy, he has served as offensive coordinator for the Chiefs since 2018 after being promoted from running backs coach (2013-17). Kansas City has had one of the league's best offenses since Bieniemy took over, and many can't understand why he hasn't received a head coaching job. 

During the 2018 season, the Chiefs offense ranked first in yards and scoring. In 2020, the team's offense again ranked first in yards, and it has never finished lower than sixth in yards and points under Bieniemy.

In January 2021, Bieniemy interviewed for head coaching vacancies with the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, Los Angeles Chargers, Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions and the Houston Texans, who all chose to go in a different direction. 

Reid has expressed optimism in the past that Bieniemy would land a head coaching job and even thought that the 2022 hiring cycle would be his year. 

However, despite interviewing for the New Orleans Saints' and Denver Broncos' openings this offseason, he was passed over in favor of Dennis Allen and Nathaniel Hackett, respectively. 

If the Chiefs offense is once again one of the best in the NFL in 2022, Bieniemy will surely be mentioned as a head coaching candidate for the 2023 hiring cycle. Maybe then he will finally get a shot. 

In his latest Football Morning in America column, Peter King of NBC Sports dropped his latest 2022 NFL power rankings following the draft, and his top teams certainly don't come as a surprise. 

Here's a look at the top 10:

1. Buffalo Bills 
2. Los Angeles Chargers
3. Kansas City Chiefs
4. Los Angeles Rams
5. Green Bay Packers
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7. Cincinnati Bengals
8. Baltimore Ravens
9. Philadelphia Eagles
10. San Francisco 49ers

It's no surprise that King ranked the Bills first in his latest column. The franchise was extremely close to reaching the Super Bowl last season and also made some solid upgrades to its roster for 2022.

The most significant addition came in the form of eight-time Pro Bowler Von Miller, who agreed to a six-year, $120 million deal with the Bills this offseason after winning the Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams. 

Miller is expected to supplant Boogie Basham on the opposite side of Greg Rousseau. The 33-year-old hasn't had a double-digit sack season since 2018 but was still effective in 2021, recording 9.5 sacks in 15 games. 

In addition to Miller, the Bills also signed wide receiver Jamison Crowder to complement with Gabriel Davis and Stefon Diggs as well as drafted cornerback Kaiir Elam, who is expected to join Tre'Davious White as a starter in the secondary. 

The Chargers are in King's top 10 because they "attacked their needs better than any teams in this offseason." 

L.A. traded for Khalil Mack to pair with Joey Bosa on the edge, signed cornerback J.C. Jackson, re-signed wide receiver Mike Williams and drafted guard Zion Johnson to help protect quarterback Justin Herbert. 

King also notes the Chargers have an advantage with their schedule, facing the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons through Week 8. 

As for the Chiefs, King said he was "at a loss where to put Kansas City," which doesn't come as a surprise. 

The Chiefs traded star wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins this offseason and let Tyrann Mathieu sign with the New Orleans Saints in free agency. Those two players were significant in Kansas City's 2020 Super Bowl victory, and it'll be hard for the Chiefs to replace that production. 

Kansas City enters the 2022 campaign with Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mecole Hardman and JuJu Smith-Schuster as its top wide receivers. The team also drafted Skyy Moore this offseason. 

As for the replacement of Mathieu, Justin Reid should slot in as the team's top safety. 

One team that might be viewed as a surprise in King's top 10 is the Eagles. However, he noted that he views Philadelphia "as the best team" in the NFC East after addressing many of their needs this offseason.

The Eagles acquired wide receiver A.J. Brown from the Tennessee Titans, signed edge-rusher Haason Reddick and cornerback James Bradberry and drafted defensive tackle Jordan Davis and inside linebacker Nakobe Dean.

With those additions, the Eagles could surprise everyone in 2022, provided quarterback Jalen Hurts also holds up his end of the bargain. 

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is just as productive as many of the elite wide receivers in the NFL, yet he's not paid like it, and San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle doesn't understand why.

Speaking with Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, Kittle said the fact that Kelce doesn't get paid like a wide receiver "just boggles my mind":

I mean, Travis Kelce, six seasons in a row, 1,000 yards. I'm pretty sure he has the most receiving yards over any wide receiver, skill position in the last six years. He gets paid half of what a wide receiver makes, which just boggles my mind. I mean, to me, Travis Kelce, he's been doing it for so long and at such a high level. And he doesn't have an off game. I think he has one bad game a year, and it's just because he's getting triple-teamed.

Kittle added: "Every NFL team ... that's won a Super Bowl or been to the Super Bowl for like the last five years has had an All-Pro tight end a part of the team. I feel a tight end's not just like a cog in the wheel; it's an important position that can really add to your offense or diminish it."

Kelce, a seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro, has been one of the Chiefs' top targets since 2014 and has been their leader in receiving yards four times.

As Kittle noted, the 32-year-old has also recorded six straight seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards and figures to be even more of an offensive threat in 2022 following Tyreek Hill's trade to the Miami Dolphins.

Kelce signed a four-year, $57 million extension in August 2020. For comparison, Hill just signed a four-year, $120 million deal with the Dolphins.

According to Over The Cap, Kittle is the highest-paid tight end at $15 million per year. Like Kelce, he should also probably be paid more similarly to an elite wide receiver.

Kittle, a three-time Pro Bowler, has two seasons of more than 1,000 receiving yards and has led San Francisco in receiving yards twice. During the 2021 campaign, he caught 71 passes for 910 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games.

But like Kelce, Kittle will likely see one of his wide receiver teammates get a massive extension. Deebo Samuel, who had a breakout 2021 campaign with 1,405 receiving yards, 365 rushing yards and 14 total touchdowns, is in line to become one of the highest-paid wide receivers in the league.

That said, the tight end market could change in the future based on the production of players such as Kelce, Kittle, Mark Andrews, Darren Waller, Kyle Pitts and others.