As the Kansas City Chiefs gear up to reunite with Eric Bieniemy, head coach Andy Reid made sure to dismiss QB Patrick Mahomes’ concern. A few weeks ago, the offensive leader shared his vision for the next offensive coordinator, focusing on “accountability.” Reid finally hit back, saying it was never a problem in his locker room. Instead, he ended up explaining what the quarterback really meant.

“No, I think Pat [Patrick Mahomes] probably said it best right there is that we’ve always had accountability here, with Eric or without Eric,” he said on Tuesday. “You’re responsible for certain things. And so whoever’s coming in better be feeling that. And there’s a certain standard that you’re going to hold each other to. I would; I’m sure that’s what Patrick was without quizzing him here, Sarin, I would tell you that’s probably what he was saying.”

Reid’s response came when a reporter asked whether Patrick Mahomes’ comments suggested that accountability had been lacking last season. Currently, a lot is going on in the Chief’s coaching room, thanks to multiple firings and potential arrivals. The latest update is the Chiefs’ plan to bring back Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator amid Matt Nagy’s confirmed exit. He’ll be leaving to seek opportunities for the head coach role elsewhere. 

And when Patrick spoke with the press for the first time since his ACL injury last week, he couldn’t help but share his thoughts on the matter. After providing updates on his recovery, he revealed his checklist for the next offensive coordinator.

“I just want someone that loves football, that cares about football, wants to give everything they can to win, to hold people accountable, and then to bring new ideas every single day,” he said last week. 

For Patrick Mahomes, accountability goes beyond the blame game. It also has to do with growing as a team, pushing each other regularly, and maintaining a “winning culture” in both practice and games. Spoken as a criticism or not, these are the things that he believes can bring the Chiefs closer to their glorious past. Conversely, Reid thinks these traits are not lacking, and his team needs to double down on the standards to revive the championship culture. And to match that standard, the coach recently put his locker room on notice.

Andy Reid sends a powerful message to his team 

The Chiefs hit a new low last year after finishing the season with a 6-11 record and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014. The reasons behind their downfall were plenty, including coaching frustration, an inconsistent offense, and close-game defeats. Patrick Mahomes’ knee injury did stall the team’s momentum in a major way. But these factors remained at the heart of their overall collapse. No wonder Andy Reid is dead set on the coaching overhaul this offseason.

“I’m fired up to get in this off-season and get going,” he said. “We didn’t do very well this past year, and that’s not been our MO there. I want to fix the problem and fix the problems that we had in all phases.” 

Top Stories

Bills Officially Cut Ties With 4 Players as Josh Allen Remain Without HC After Philip Rivers Quits

ICE to Conduct Immigration Enforcement at Patriots vs. Seahawks Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium, as Per Official

Strahan Family in Mourning as Michael Strahan’s Cancer-Free Daughter Grieves Close Friend’s Loss After Cancer Battle

Travis Kelce Makes Major Career Decision as Chiefs TE Contemplates Retirement

Jerry Jones’ Cowboys Make Triple Firing Decision After Blocking Coach’s Exit

Reid’s “all-phase” remarks specifically haunt, as they underperformed on both sides of the ball. The offense came up short, ranking 20th in the league, averaging just 320.6 total yards every outing. The defense didn’t provide much relief either. Defensive tackle Chris Jones remained exceptional with 15 solo tackles and seven sacks. Still, Kansas City’s pass rush lacked punch, and they tied for 22nd in sacks with only 35 on the year.

Further, Reid highlighted how the Chiefs couldn’t win many tight games as they did the previous year. Despite the disappointment, he is ready to fix the gaps.

“Now it’s making sure that we get back and do the right, do what, correct some things and then get them going in the right direction again,” he said. “…It’s you make a, miss a play here or there and you’re going to lose the game. And so all those games that were so tight for us this year, we’ve got to, we have to fix it and clean that up.”

Reid also stressed that there’s always room for improvement, regardless of past success. Whether the team wins a Super Bowl or misses the playoffs, he believes there are always lessons to learn. After a humbling season, Andy Reid’s determination underscores both his disappointment and hope. We’re yet to see if his team can materialize his vision.