KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With the Kansas City Chiefs back in the playoffs for a fourth-straight season and nabbing a first-round bye in this year's postseason, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy will be a popular target during this year's head coach hiring carousel.
The New York Giants and Carolina Panthers have already requested permission to interview Bieniemy, head coach Andy Reid confirmed on Monday. Other clubs are also expected to express interest in speaking with Bieniemy.
Reid again offered his glowing endorsement of Bieniemy, saying he will make a “tremendous” head coach.
“There's a team out there – I don't know the team – but there's a team out there that really could use him,” Reid said. “Being the leader of men that he is, you're not going to find people better than that in that category. And then he's a sharp offensive mind on top of that.”
NFL rules allow assistants with teams who have earned a first-round bye to take part in interviews this week only. Clubs must ask permission to interview coaches under contract with other teams. Coaches in the playoffs cannot interview for heading coaching jobs until after their season concludes. If the team makes the Super Bowl, another interview opens during bye week following the conference championship game.
Reid says he will grant permission to any team requesting to interview his assistants.
“I don't put restrictions on them, I let them try and go get the thing and do their best,” Reid said.
Bieniemy first emerged as future head coaching candidate last season when he interviewed with the Cincinnati, Tampa Bay, Arizona and the New York Jets.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes believes Bieniemy will be a success if he lands a head coaching gig, whether it's now or down the road.
“When you get a guy like EB who puts in the time, who is a great leader of players and me, and someone that can really control and have a presence in any room that he walks in, you understand why these other teams are looking at him to be their head coach.”
