25 February 2023 , 18:09
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Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera insisted new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy will bring ‘instant credibility’ to the role following his arrival from the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason.
Bieniemy was promoted to Chiefs' offensive coordinator under current head coach and future Hall of Famer Andy Reid back in 2018. The pair masterminded an offence led by superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes to two championships, winning both Super Bowl LIV and Super Bowl LVIII.
After defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in an all-time classic contest, Bieniemy signed a two-year deal with the Commanders to be their assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. While it is a lateral move, Bieniemy will have full play calling authority, which he shared with Reid during his time in Kansas City.
On Thursday, Commanders coach Rivera addressed media and expressed his excitement about working alongside Bieniemy. Rivera pointed to the 53-year-old’s success as a player at high school, college and the NFL as one of the reasons for his fine development as a professional coach.
“You have the success he had it is instant credibility,” Rivera said. “I think that is one of the more important things for our guys. They are looking at the guy that’s been there, done that, had the success. So, when he speaks I mostly know everybody’s gonna listen.
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“I was very excited about the fact that he wanted to come and interview. I thought that was a good start for us. One thing I really appreciated when he got in was some of the first things he talked about was our roster. Listening to what he saw potentially with Sam was a good thing.”
Eric Bieniemy greeted a number of Washington Commanders offensive weapons during his official unveiling (AP)Rivera also revealed that Bieniemy was also clearly interested in getting to work with the Washington personnel. The two-time Super Bowl champion assistant coach reportedly spoke of plans for star receiver Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, and Curtis Samuel as well as for the running game and involving tight ends in the passing game.
“Those were things that really told me that he’s really been paying attention these last few days in preparation for this opportunity to sit down and talk with me,” Rivera added. “He had an idea of where he wanted to go.”
The Commanders agonisingly missed out on the NFL Playoffs as they finished bottom of a competitive NFC East despite possessing a record of 8-8-1. Washington own the 16th pick in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft where they could add an offensive piece for Bieniemy to utilise.