Eric Bieniemy, the former offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs and most recently was the OC for UCLA, was hired by the Chicago Bears to be their running backs coach, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports on February 1.
Bieniemy spent ten seasons with the Chiefs. His first five seasons with the team were as a running backs coach, and the final five seasons were as an OC. Bieniemy’s first season as Kansas City’s OC was also quarterback Patrick Mahomes‘s first season as a full-time starter in 2018 in which he threw 50 touchdown passes.
With two Super Bowl titles under his belt, Bieniemy joined Ron Rivera’s staff with the Washington Commanders as their OC and assistant head coach in 2023. After Rivera was fired in 2024, Bieniemy joined the UCLA staff as an associate head coach and OC.
Bieniemy will now be working under new head coach Ben Johnson and will inherit a running back room that currently has two players under contract for the 2025 season: D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson.
X Users React to Eric Bieniemy Joining Bears
Users on X, formerly Twitter, reacted to the Bears hiring Bieniemy as their running backs coach.
“Interesting mix and perspective to the coaching staff for the Bears,” one person wrote. “You cannot ask for a better running back mentor who will hold that unit accountable while also providing some philosophical insights from his days with Andy Reid within Ben Johnson’s offense.”
“Bears fan married to Chiefs fan living in KC opinion: Hard [expletive] mentality. Holds players accountable. Did not call plays in KC though. Noticeable offensive production drop off when he left (also could be Tyreek Hill). I like this hire for the position. I’m just a rando though,” another person wrote.
Patrick Mahomes on Influence from Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan
Whether it’s putting his body on the line or overall changing how he plays, Mahomes has proven during his eight-year career that he will do whatever it takes to win. That’s why he has been grouped with the likes of NBA legends Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, who had killer mentalities when it came to winning.
Speaking to the media on January 30, Mahomes was asked how much Bryant and Jordan have influenced him during his career.
“I think more than anything is you see the competitors that they are (Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan) is that they’re going to do whatever it takes to win,” Mahomes explained. “That’s what you have to be in order to have success in professional sports is a competitor, someone that’s going to put in the work every single week and watching them and listening to the things that they talk about, that’s helped shape my career on how I have to work. Obviously, it’s a long way still for me to go to be mentioned with those guys but I’ll try to do whatever I can to be close enough as I can be.”
Mahomes can further cement his legacy among professional sports’ greatest athletes by winning a third-straight championship.
Super Bowl LIX between the Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will take place on Sunday, February 9 at 5:30 p.m. Central Time and will be available to watch on FOX.
