The Kansas City Chiefs' offensive coordinator situation remains a major topic of conversation within the league. Before today, there were no reports of potential candidates to replace Matt Nagy, whose contract is up and could potentially become a head coach again.
Now, reports show that the Chiefs are considering turning to a familiar face to help address their issues. They requested permission to interview Chicago Bears RB coach Eric Bieniemy, who previously had an impressive tenure serving as the "Robin" to Andy Reid's "Batman" in Kansas City. Notably, that might be great news for Isiah Pacheco.
Isiah Pacheco Needs Eric Bieniemy Back in Kansas City
While Pacheco is a pending free agent and some believe the Chiefs might be tempted to pursue Notre Dame star RB Jeremiyah Love in the draft to replace him, the harsh truth is that there won't be as much money available to be spent by Kansas City this offseason. Pacheco is coming off a down year, so he's not likely to get much money in free agency, and he might be better off taking a short-term "prove it" deal to run it back with the Chiefs.
Bieniemy was there in Pacheco's rookie season, which, not coincidentally, was one of his best. He's a proven coach when it comes to developing running backs, as he showed again this season by turning D'Andre Swift and rookie seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai into the only pair of running backs with at least 750 rushing yards apiece.
Beyond that, it also feels like their personalities are a perfect match. Pacheco became a fan favorite right away because of his fearless, hard-hitting running style. He looked like someone who had a chip on his shoulder and wanted to make a statement with every single carry. Now, however, he appears to have lost that edge, either because of injuries or for some other reason.
Bieniemy is known for taking a no-nonsense approach with his players. In fact, he reportedly wasn't popular in the Washington Commanders' locker room because the veteran coach was pushing them too hard. While that didn't work in Washington, it is likely due more to the environment created by former owner Dan Snyder that never translated to success on the field. This approach is exactly what the Chiefs' offense needs right now, and he might be the right guy to re-ignite that fire within the Chiefs' seventh-round running back.
Pacheco finished the season with 118 carries for 462 yards and one touchdown, averaging just 3.9 yards per carry. Those numbers make it hard to justify bringing him back, and while running backs tend to fall from grace faster than other players, he's already proven what he's capable of when he's at his best. If Bieniemy is, in fact, on his way back, keeping Pacheco on a short-term, cheap contract might solve plenty of this team's offensive issues.