Mahomes: 'People are crazy' if Bieniemy doesn't get HC job
Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is among the hottest head coaching candidates of this hiring cycle. But that was also the case last year, and Bieniemy ended up back with the Chiefs.
If NFL teams decide to again pass on the 51-year-old assistant, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be left incredulous.
"I think (he will be hired)," Mahomes told 610 Kansas City's "The Drive" on Monday. "His track record speaks for itself. The type of man he is, the way he can control and be a leader of the locker room, and the way that he coaches and schemes he brings to us. If he doesn't, people are crazy."
The New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, and Jacksonville Jaguars thus far interviewed Bieniemy for their head coaching vacancies.
The Houston Texans were the only team with an opening - prior to the Philadelphia Eagles firing Doug Pederson on Monday - not to meet with Bieniemy, a decision that reportedly contributed to Deshaun Watson's anger toward team ownership.
"I've known Deshaun a while now and we just talked about coach Bieniemy," Mahomes said. "Wasn't me trying to get him a job or anything, I just told him who coach Bieniemy is and what kind of coach he is, what kind of man he is and how I think that he handles himself.
"As he gets a job over the next few weeks, months whatever it is, the type of man he is will carry him to where he needs to be at and that will put him in the best situation possible at the end of the day."
Bieniemy has been the Chiefs' offensive coordinator since 2018 after acting as the running backs coach for the prior five seasons. He's received widespread praise for his role in developing Mahomes into an MVP-caliber player.
Kansas City finished first in scoring in 2018 (35.3 points per game), fifth in 2019 (28.2), and sixth this year (29.6). The unit also starred on the Chiefs' way to a Super Bowl win last season, averaging 39 points.
"For us, obviously we want to have him here," Mahomes said. "But we know he deserves that opportunity to lead his own franchise and his own team."