Chiefs’ Eric Bieniemy returns to practice after wife’s shooting at their Virginia home
Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy returned to the team Monday for his first training camp practice since his wife was shot at their Virginia home and the couple’s 27-year-old son was arrested in the shooting.
This is the first time Bieniemy has been with the team since his wife was shot on July 26.
Mia Bieniemy has been hospitalized after she was shot and seriously injured in her Virginia home. Elijah Bieniemy, the couple’s son, has been charged in connection with the shooting. He has been charged with malicious wounding, the use of a firearm in commission of a felony and discharge of a firearm inside a dwelling. His court appearances have been delayed pending a mental health evaluation.
Eric Bieniemy has been away from the Chiefs and by his wife’s side for the past two weeks.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid shared a few updates about Mia Bieniemy in the days following the shooting, including that she was released from the ICU. On Monday, Reid said she was stable and “doing well.”
Video below: ‘Good to have EB back’: Andy Reid says coordinator Eric Bieniemy didn’t miss a step at first camp back
“Good to have EB back,” Reid said. “He’s back, back in the fold, and I don’t think he missed a step. He was out there, getting after it, so that’s a positive for the offensive side.”
The Chiefs are scheduled to play against the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday in their first preseason game.
Bieniemy was met with hugs and handshakes from players and coaches during practice at Missouri Western State University, where the Chiefs hold camp.
Video below: Chiefs’ Nick Bolton welcomes Bieniemy back
“It’s great to have him back with the circumstances he had going on,” linebacker Nick Bolton said. “We’ve been sending prayers to his family when he was out. But having a guy like that come back on the field, a competitor, brings out the best of us also on defense.”
“Coach EB, man, he crazy,” guard Kingsley Suamataia said with a laugh. “He’s a great guy, very vocal. So just being on the same page as everybody as an offense. He pushes us to our limits every day so we can be the best offense out there, so it’s been great.”
Bieniemy was part of coaching staffs that helped Kansas City reach three Super Bowls and win two of them. But because Reid is the primary play-caller, Bieniemy left to serve as the offensive coordinator with the Washington Commanders, where he would be able to call his own plays and perhaps better position himself for a head coaching job in the NFL.
The Commanders struggled in his lone season there, though, and Bieniemy and the rest of the staff were let go. He spent a season with UCLA and last season coached the running backs with the Chicago Bears before returning to Kansas City as the offensive coordinator.
He replaced Matt Nagy, who was hired as the offensive coordinator of the New York Giants.
