The Kansas City Chiefs needed to make drastic changes after a tough 6-11 season and bringing back OC Eric Bieniemy was the perfect under-the-radar move of the offseason.
The Kansas City Chiefs had an uncharacteristic season in 2025, missing the playoffs for the first time with quarterback Patrick Mahomes under center, a year in which Mahomes suffered his worst injury with their playoff hopes on the line.
It wasn’t just troubling to watch Mahomes go down hard and simultaneously miss the postseason; it was troubling to watch the brand of football that the Chiefs played all season long.
The defense not getting enough pressure on the quarterback, receivers dropping too many passes and lack of consistency all-around were the storylines of Kansas City’s season. But perhaps the roughest aspect of the team to watch was the running game, or lack thereof.
Running backs Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco struggled mightily as the lead backs for a team that typically runs the ball well. They combined to generate just one explosive run of 20 yards or more and were only effective in short yardage situations.
Not establishing a strong running game isn’t just bad for that group, it’s bad for the passing game as well. If the opposing defense knows it can stop the run relatively easily with little gain, it creates problems for the passing game, which basically must then be perfect.
The Chiefs had the eighth-fewest rushing yards per game (106.6) and the third-shortest longest run at 35 yards.
Fortunately for Kansas City, Hunt no longer will serve as the starting three-down back after the team signed Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Kenneth Walker III to a three-year deal to kick off free agency.
Walker was incredible last season in a split backfield with Zach Charbonnet, posting 221 carries for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns while being fourth on the team in receiving with 31 receptions for 282 yards. His long was 55 yards and his burst is elite, so this marriage should be a happy one.
Not only did the RB1 spot get a massive upgrade, coach Eric Bieniemy returned to the staff for another stint as offensive coordinator after helping the Chicago Bears become one of the best rushing teams in the NFL.
Bieniemy returning is one of NFL.com's top storylines for the Chiefs ahead of training camp.
“During Eric Bieniemy’s five years as the team’s OC from 2018 through 2022, the Chiefs never finished worse than sixth in the league in points or yards, twice tallied the most points and three times amassed the most yards,” NFL.com’s Bobby Kownack wrote Thursday.
“In the last three years without Bieniemy, the Chiefs have ranked, at average, 17th in scoring and 15th in yardage.”
The praise from players regarding Bieniemy is never-ending and Kansas City’s success with and without him speak as to why.
With him back in the fold, the Chiefs are primed to get back to their championship pedigree that has made this team special to watch over the last number of years.
