Bieniemy drops Rivera-ism as speculation about his future builds originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Eric Bieniemy will serve as offensive coordinator of the Chiefs for at least one more game when Kansas City faces Philadelphia this Sunday in Super Bowl 57. Where Bieniemy’s career goes from there, however, is the subject of much speculation.
The longtime assistant of Andy Reid could be in line for a new job soon, a possibility that was brought up during his media availability on Monday evening. And in one response to a question regarding his future, Bieniemy actually used a go-to line of Ron Rivera’s.
“Right now,” he said, “I am where my feet are.”
Rivera has often espoused the necessity of “being where your feet are” (or some variation of that motto) since stepping in as Washington’s boss in 2020. He routinely breaks out the phrase at the podium in order to remind his players, his coaches and even himself of how vital it is to handle whatever task is directly ahead as opposed to worrying too much about other, non-pressing items or duties that are for another time or place.
Conveniently enough, one of Bieniemy’s potential non-Chiefs stops is a spot on Rivera’s staff, as reports have indicated that Rivera is hoping to interview Bieniemy for the club’s open offensive coordinator position.
So, was speaking of such an approach Bieniemy’s coy way of acknowledging that he, too, has the Commanders on his mind? Is he secretly desperate to move on from Patrick Mahomes so he can begin working with Sam Howell!?!?
Or, instead, was Bieniemy simply repeating a football coach-y expression he’s heard before and merely agrees with?
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That’s a follow-up that the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala posed to Bieniemy at his press conference when she asked him about the motto in particular.
“Everyone wants to talk about what’s next,” he said. “You can’t deal with what’s next until you deal with what’s in front of you.”
In addition to linking up with Rivera and taking over the organization’s offense, Bieniemy will apparently have the chance to audition for the same gig with the Ravens. In Kansas City, Reid has the most power in terms of handling that side of the ball, so heading elsewhere would afford Bieniemy the opportunity to acquire more responsibility even if his title might be the same.
Then there’s the Colts head-coaching job, which Bieniemy confirmed on Monday that he’s already interviewed for.
Patrick Mahomes, for one, believes Bieniemy’s ready for a true promotion, meaning somebody ought to bring him on to run an entire team.
“It’s so past deserved,” Mahomes said. “He’s done everything the right way.”
“I don’t know why he hasn’t been hired but it’s been great for us because we’ve had one of the best coaches in the league with us for way long past due,” the quarterback added.
Bieniemy explained that he and Reid intend to have a conversation about Bieniemy’s options at the appropriate juncture. His much-anticipated (at least locally) chat with Rivera and Washington could occur shortly after the conclusion of the Chiefs-Eagles showdown.
Until then, though, Bieniemy is “focused on helping” his present employer capture one more victory. To borrow another Rivera-ism, that’s what’s important, while everything else is just interesting.
