What to know about return to Chiefs of Eric Bieniemy & cornerback L’Jarius Sneed
Key Takeaways
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Eric Bieniemy was reintroduced as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator 1,070 days later.
- Andy Reid will continue to handle most play-calling despite Bieniemy’s return to staff.
- L’Jarius Sneed signed with the Chiefs after his March release by the Tennessee Titans.
The Kansas City Chiefs have brought back a couple of familiar names this offseason, reuniting offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed with the franchise.
Each had a different path back to KC — and both figure to play important albeit far different roles for the Chiefs when training camp opens in St. Joseph in several weeks.
- Eric Bieniemy was reintroduced as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator on a Zoom news conference some 1,070 days after his last game in the role — Kansas City’s 38-35 Super Bowl LVII win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
- Bieniemy spent three years away from Kansas City, serving as offensive coordinator for Washington in 2023 and UCLA in 2024 before joining the Chicago Bears as running backs coach in 2025, where the Bears’ rushing attack ranked third in the NFL at 144.5 yards per game.
- The call from Andy Reid came the day after Chicago lost a 20-17 overtime heartbreaker to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round, Bieniemy said, calling Reid’s offer one he couldn’t refuse.
- Despite Bieniemy’s return, Reid is expected to continue handling the bulk of play-calling duties, saying he still enjoys calling plays but is not afraid to delegate and get opinions from his staff.
- Cornerback L’Jarius Sneed is signing with the Chiefs after being released by the Tennessee Titans in March, a source told The Star, returning the defensive back who was a critical part of the Super Bowl LVII and Super Bowl LVIII championship runs.
- Kansas City originally traded Sneed to Tennessee in 2024 for a 2025 third-round pick, but injuries limited him to two seasons with the Titans, and he compiled 303 tackles, 40 passes defensed and 10 interceptions over 54 regular-season appearances during his first Chiefs stint from 2020-23.
- One former Chief who is not returning is wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster — there was some interest in a reunion, but he signed with the New York Giants after totaling 129 receptions for 1,509 yards and six touchdowns across three seasons in here.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.