Andy Reid is circling back to what once made the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense feel unstoppable. After a losing season, the head coach did not overthink it. Instead, he leaned into familiarity. On Wednesday, the Chiefs bring back Eric Bieniemy, the offensive mind who once helped keep Chiefdom buzzing every Sunday.

“Done deal: The Chiefs agreed to terms with Eric Bieniemy as their offensive coordinator, per source,” Tom Pelissero wrote. “Coming off the worst season of the Patrick Mahomes era, Andy Reid brings back a familiar face in Bieniemy, who was part of two Super Bowl wins in KC.”

So now, Bieniemy steps back into a role he knows well, reclaiming the offensive coordinator chair in Kansas City. Meanwhile, Matt Nagy exits as his contract runs out, despite drawing interest as a finalist for the Titans job before Tennessee hired Robert Saleh.

More importantly, Bieniemy’s return reconnects Reid with the coach who ran the offense from 2018 through 2022, the first five seasons of Patrick Mahomes as a starter.

After that chapter closed, Bieniemy stayed busy across football. First, he landed in Washington in 2023 as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. Then, in 2024, he took on the same dual role at UCLA. Most recently, in 2025, he worked with the Bears as their running backs coach, adding another layer to his resume.

At the same time, the numbers in Kansas City told an uncomfortable story. In 2022, with Bieniemy still calling plays, the Chiefs led the NFL with 413.6 yards and 29.2 points per game. But in 2025, the offense ranked 20th in yards at 320.6 and 21st in scoring at 21.3 points per game. So the slide was visible.

Meanwhile in Chicago, Bieniemy quietly rebuilt a run game. D’Andre Swift hit career highs with 1,087 yards and nine scores. Alongside him, seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai broke out in his rookie season. As a unit, the Bears averaged 144.5 rushing yards per game and posted a 46.2% rushing success rate, both third best in the league.

So yes, Reid knows what Bieniemy brings back to Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs won two Super Bowls with him before, and after missing the playoffs in 2025, the mission feels clear. Travis Kelce has already made his feelings known, and with Reid directly involved in the call, Kansas City believes this reunion puts them back on the right road.

Travis Kelce is happy with Eric Bieniemy’s return

Before anything became official, the buzz was already loud, and Travis Kelce made it clear where he stood. Speaking on the New Heights podcast, the Chiefs tight end did not hide his excitement.

“I can’t wait to see him back in the building, man,” Kelce said while talking it through with Jason Kelce.

Then, Kelce went a step further and made it personal, saying, “He’s one of my favorite coaches of all time, one of my favorite people of all time. I’ve had so many unbelievable, growing moments under him as a player, as a person, and I just love the guy, and it’s gonna be awesome to see him back in the building and see him back wearing the Chiefs logo, baby.”

Naturally, that bond did not come out of nowhere. Kelce spent most of his NFL life with Eric Bieniemy as a core voice on Andy Reid’s staff. Bieniemy was part of the Chiefs for a decade, first shaping the run game from 2013 to 2017. Then, starting in 2018, he took over the offense, the same year Kansas City drafted Patrick Mahomes. From there, the production spoke loudly without needing hype.

So when reports surfaced about a possible reunion, Kelce wasted no time backing it.

“I think it’s a marriage that’s going to pick up right where it left off, EB (Eric Bieniemy), and who he is as a coach,” Kelce said.

“You can see a kind of his personality, what he brings to the table in that Chicago team…can see those running backs over Chicago, and their body of work was definitely an Eric B. enemy style of football. I can’t wait to see him back in the building.”

For a veteran voice like his, that kind of confidence carries weight inside the locker room. Then, there is the bigger picture.

Kelce is 36, and retirement talk follows him every offseason. Still, saying he is excited to see Bieniemy back in the building feels telling. It sounds less like closure and more like preparation. For Chiefs fans, it hints that Kelce may be gearing up for one more run in 2026, right back where it feels familiar.