3 Commanders rumors that might not come true in 2023

Eric Bieniemy will not join the Commanders

I’ve written about this before. We all want Eric Bieniemy calling plays next season. But please – put yourself in his shoes.

Bieniemy should have gotten his shot at a head coaching gig a couple of years ago. He is still going to be a serious candidate for multiple head coaching jobs. Assuming none of them pan out this off-season, do you really think he would leave the Kansas City Chiefs?

This is where he works with Andy Reid – where he has Patrick Mahomes as his quarterback and Travis Kelce as his tight end – where he has won two Super Bowls and has been a fixture in the conference championship game for five straight years. Would he leave all this behind to join the Washington Commanders?

Washington’s ownership is in limbo and they have no stable answer at quarterback. Not exactly the biggest selling points for a sideways move.

There are some potential answers to that. The primary one is that Bieniemy has come to believe that working under Reid has actually been a hindrance to his ascension.

There could be the perception that Bieniemy’s impact on the Chiefs’ offense has been muted by Reid, and that anybody could succeed with Mahomes. That logic certainly did not affect Kevin O’Connell or Shane Streichen, or any of a host of other offensive coordinators who got gigs despite working under offensive-minded head coaches.

I could envision a scenario – albeit unlikely – in which Bieniemy decides it is time for him to show what he can do elsewhere. I just don’t see why he would choose the Commanders.