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Stephen A. Smith has a theory on why Eric Bieniemy isn’t an NFL head coach and it’s one he claims, “we know is true.”
On Wednesday’s edition of ESPN’s “First Take,” Smith sat down with Herm Edwards and Chris “Mad Dog” Russo to discuss the possibility of the Chief’s offensive coordinator becoming an NFL coach.
“When we think about what’s holding Eric Bieniemy back most, it’s Andy Reid,” Smith said of the Chiefs head coach. “Andy Reid has cost Eric Bieniemy a head coaching job in the National Football League. We don’t want to say it, but it’s true.”
Smith prefaced that “blame” is not the right word here, meaning this was not done with intention.
Instead, he pointed out that as the head coach Reid doesn’t have to call plays but when he has “he made sure we knew he called plays.”
Yet, Smith noted, there are a lot of head coaches who also make calls, instead of their offensive coordinator and when they do so “you don’t hear about it.”
“Yet somehow in Kansas City, it’s convoluted,” Smith continued. “One minute it’s Eric Bieniemy, another minute it’s Andy Reid. … If you give owners a choice to give credit to somebody, who the hell do you think they’re gonna give credit to? They’re going to give credit to Andy Reid.”
Under Bieniemy, 53, who took over as offensive coordinator in 2018, the Chiefs have featured one of the league’s most potent offenses, with Kansas City leading the NFL in yards per game in 2018, 2020 and 2022. This past season, the Chiefs were first in passing yards per game (297.8 yards), points per game (29.2) and first downs (408).
Kansas City has also reached the AFC Championship each of the past five years and won two Super Bowls in three appearances in that span.
But, Smith said, Andy Reid has continued to call some of the plays, causing confusion on where credit should be given.
Most of the time, Smith believes, that credit isn’t going to Bieniemy, noting that it’s going to Reid because he coached in Philadelphia for 14 years, brought them to five NFC Championships (including four straight) but failed to win a Super Bowl until he had Mahomes and Bieniemy in Kansas City.
“But they don’t see that,” Smith said. “Andy Reid had to come out years ago, y’all remember this, and highlight how he has allowed Eric Bieniemy to up his stature and take more control of the offense.
“Why? Because the narrative had already been written.”
How much longer Bieniemy is in Kansas City remains to be seen, though.
On Thursday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Washington Commanders will interview Bieniemy for their offensive coordinator role.
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