When Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy returned to training camp on August 10 after a two-week absence, a wave of relief washed over the Chiefs Kingdom. His return was also followed by a positive health update on his wife, Mia. And in a recent presser, Bieniemy revealed it was because of Mia that he was able to return to Kansas City.

“Yes, she is on the road to recovery. Yes, she is doing great,” Bieniemy told reporters in his August 18th training camp presser. “It’s one of the main reasons why I’m back here because of her recovery. She’s truly a soldier. She’s a saint. And it’s been incredible to watch. But with that said, I know I was driving her and a bunch of my family members crazy in the house. So, she was like, ‘you have my blessing to leave.’ So it was time to get back.”

Bieniemy notably opened his presser by thanking the media for respecting their privacy. He also thanked the Hunt family and the Chiefs “for the love and support” that his family has received. He noted that the Chiefs had become his “family away from your family, so it feels good to be back in this environment.”

Eric Bieniemy notably missed 11 practices during his two-week absence as he returned to Virginia to be with his family. Head coach Andy Reid also revealed recently that he had been in constant communication with Bieniemy throughout the process and knew he was coming back soon, and he didn’t miss a step when he came back. When asked about how he stayed connected with the team, he had this to say:

“I wasn’t always watching, but when things kinda settled back home, I had an opportunity to tap in,” Bieniemy said. “Technology is pretty impressive now; you can watch practice live through a stream, and I had an opportunity to go through the script. And my language probably got a little colorful in the house, and I had a bunch of family members that was there that never really heard some of the language that was used. But I had a great time and it felt good just to see the guys work, but on top of that, just to see feel like I was still a part of it.”

He didn’t say if it was the colorful language that pushed Mia to give the blessing that sent him back to KC, but on a follow-up question he did reveal he was yelling at the screen – coaches, players, even himself – a lot. When he did come back, the Chiefs were thrilled, and star tight end Travis Kelce had outlined exactly why.

“The intensity is infectious,” Kelce said. “It makes you want to scream ‘m–f–’ at everybody doing the wrong thing. I love that sh*t. I don’t think there’s enough of that in this world, let alone in this building… We really missed it.”

As for his wife, Mia Bieniemy, she was reportedly shot multiple times on July 26, rushed to the hospital, and admitted to the ICU. A few days later, she came out of intensive care and has been in stable condition since then, steadily recovering. Their son, Elijah Zion Bieniemy, was arrested and charged for allegedly firing the shots in their house.

The Chiefs, meanwhile, have already played their first preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams with Bieniemy back on the sideline. Although that outing ended in a 20-12 defeat, the offensive coordinator was back at it the next session, driving his unit to treat camp with the intensity of a regular season game. The Chiefs travel to Tampa Bay for their next preseason battle against the Buccaneers, with another clash with the reigning Super Bowl champs – the Seattle Seahawks – waiting for them beyond.

Time will tell how this new offense fares under the Chiefs’ old offensive coordinator. But the intensity Eric Bieniemy has brought to the Chiefs – even as he screamed at the screen from home – might just be what gets them over the slump they’ve found themselves in the last two seasons.