The Kansas City Chiefs are turning back to a familiar voice for the 2026 season, having agreed to terms that will see Eric Bieniemy return as offensive coordinator, a team source confirmed Wednesday.

Bieniemy will replace Matt Nagy, who has interviewed for head coaching openings and at least one offensive coordinator position this offseason. The move reunites Bieniemy with head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, reforming a trio that previously helped power one of the league’s most dominant offenses.

Bieniemy served as Kansas City’s offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2022, a stretch that included three Super Bowl appearances and two championships. During that run, the Chiefs consistently ranked among the NFL’s most explosive units, with Mahomes operating at his peak alongside Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill. Although the veteran tight end is widely expected to retire ahead of next season, he made no secret of his support for Bieniemy while discussing the rumour on the New Heights podcast he presents with brother Jason.

“I can’t wait to see him back in the building, man,” Kelce said. “He’s one of my favourite coaches of all time… It’s gonna be awesome to see him back in the building.”

Since leaving Kansas City, Bieniemy’s results have been mixed. Repeatedly overlooked for head coaching roles, he served as Washington’s offensive coordinator and associate head coach in 2023, but was not retained after a 4–13 season. A year later, at UCLA, his offense struggled in a 5–7 campaign, leading to his dismissal. In 2025, Bieniemy resurfaced as the Chicago Bears’ running backs coach, where the unit showed notable improvement, including a 1,000-yard season from D’Andre Swift.

Kansas City is coming off a 6–11 season marked by offensive inconsistency and late-season injuries, including a season-ending knee injury to Mahomes. The Chiefs finished 13th in expected points added per drive and 15th in points per drive overall, but ranked near the bottom of the league in those categories over the final three weeks without their quarterback.

Mahomes hinted earlier this offseason at the type of direction he wanted from the next offensive coordinator.

“For me, I just want someone that loves football, that cares about football, that wants to give everything they can to win, to hold people accountable and then to bring new ideas every single day,” the quarterback told journalists. “I want to get back to that winning culture of being accountable to each other and going out there and playing great football every single day — practice or game.”

Accountability has long been associated with Bieniemy, whose demanding style was a fixture of Chiefs practices during his first tenure. While Reid remains the team’s primary play caller, Bieniemy will again oversee day-to-day offensive operations and help address areas of concern, particularly a run game that lacked explosiveness in 2025.

“Somewhere, you’d like to have a few bigger plays in that area,” Reid said after the season. “Not 3-4 yards. Every once in a while, you need to hit on a few.”

With Mahomes expected back healthy and Bieniemy returning to a system he knows well, the Chiefs are clearly betting that a familiar partnership can help restore their offensive edge.