Chiefs news includes coaching interview with Raiders RB guru.
Getty
Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy (left) with head coach Andy Reid (right).
The Kansas City Chiefs did not live up to expectations on offense during the 2025 season.
There are plenty of reasons as to why, such as injuries and wide receiver Rashee Rice’s six-game suspension. Running back Isiah Pacheco failing to take a step forward in his development also hampered things. Perhaps the biggest factor, however, was how stale the offensive system and play calling became.
By midseason the Chiefs had their full complement of wide receivers, and improved offensive line, and tight end Travis Kelce was more productive than he was the season before. Despite that, Kansas City lost five of six games between Week 9 and Week 15. After that, the team was eliminated from playoff contention and the remainder of the season was irrelevant.
Kansas City Chiefs went too heavy with RPOs in 2025
Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid
GettyChiefs HC Andy Reid
The Chiefs were incredibly over reliant on RPOs last season. The purpose of RPOs are to put the defense in conflict, but that only works when you have a balanced split between successful running and passing plays.
Kansas City’s offense lived in shotgun formation, and opposing defenses simply did not fear the threat of the Chiefs running the ball. When asked why so many RPOs were being called following a Week 11 loss to the Denver Broncos, Reid doubled down on his strategy.
“So, I know you know all this, but we’re calling quite a few of the RPOs,” Reid told reporters. “So, yesterday they were giving us opportunities to throw the football, so we utilized the opportunities there. And those things end up being as good as a run for either. We’re getting four-plus yards, and you go with it, but the runs are being called. It’s just, you know, sometimes they get turned into passes in today’s world. You know, that’s how it goes. But we’re getting them, we’re getting them in.”
Eric Bieniemy could become the voice of reason for Chiefs’ offense operating under center more in 2026
Kansas City Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy
GettyChiefs OC Eric Bieniemy
On Tuesday Warren Sharp of Sharp Football took to X to reveal the number of dropbacks each team had from under center in 2025.
Warren Sharp
under center dropbacks in 2025:
251 – Los Angeles Rams⭐️ 192 – Chicago Bears⭐️ 175 – Seattle Seahawks⭐️ 169 – Detroit Lions 164 – San Francisco 49ers⭐️ 157 – Buffalo Bills⭐️ 144 – Dallas Cowboys 140 – New England Patriots⭐️ 139 – Green Bay Packers⭐️ 131 – Minnesota Vikings 128 –
Unsurprisingly, the Chiefs ranked second to last with just 45. That is quite out of balance, and not sustainable for long-term success. You will quickly notice that just one (the Philadelphia Eagles) of the bottom nine teams made the playoffs. On the flip side, 12 of the top 18 teams did make the playoffs.
Enter Bieniemy, who is back as Kansas City’s offensive coordinator. As a former NFL running back and longtime RB coach, perhaps he can influence Reid to operate from under center more in 2026. The last time was the Chiefs ran the ball effectively was during Bieniemy’s first tenure as offensive coordinator.
The Chicago Bears, who Bieniemy served as the RB coach for last season, ranked second on the list. That helped lead quarterback Caleb Williams to a breakout season, and Chicago to the top 10 in total offense. One of the reasons Reid has been successful for so long has been his ability to adapt to current trends. Let’s hope that he and Bieniemy can do it again.