Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy returned to the team on Monday morning for his first practice session since his wife was shot at their Ashburn, Virginia, home. Bieniemy was greeted by a handful of fans as he walked down the hill to the training fields at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri, where the Chiefs hold their training camp according to NBC News reporting. As he walked toward the field, Bieniemy told fans it’s great to be back.
Eric Bieniemy Returns to Chiefs Training Camp After Family Tragedy
Mia Bieniemy, 57, suffered multiple gunshot wounds during the July 26 incident reported by USA Today. She was rushed to a local hospital, prompting Eric Bieniemy to immediately leave the team to be by her side as detailed by USA Today. The couple’s 27-year-old son, Elijah Bieniemy, was arrested at the scene and charged with malicious wounding, the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and the discharge of a firearm inside a dwelling noted NBC News. Court appearances for Elijah Bieniemy have been delayed pending a mental health evaluation according to NBC News, after his attorney filed documents stating that his client appears to suffer from significant mental health issues and does not appear able to assist in his own defense at the present time per Heavy.com coverage.
Coaching From Afar and Health Updates From Andy Reid
While away from the team, Bieniemy maintained active contact with the coaching staff, reviewed practice footage, and watched live streams of drills reported by USA Today. Chiefs general manager Brett Veach shared an account of receiving a phone call directly from Bieniemy while standing on the practice field described by The Athletic and published via The New York Times. Bieniemy asked Veach to hand the phone to head coach Andy Reid so he could relay a correction regarding a running back’s alignment during a drill nytimes.com.
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Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes noted that Bieniemy’s remote involvement kept standard operational expectations high noted USA Today. Mahomes shared that Bieniemy frequently called players late in the evening to review daily plays and instructions reported by USA Today.
“I mean, he’s still ‘EB.’ It’s not like he’s not ‘EB.’ And so he’s calling you at the end of the night and talking to you about kind of throughout the day and all the plays and stuff like that.”
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid provided steady updates regarding Mia Bieniemy’s recovery reported by Yahoo Sports. Reid confirmed that she was transferred out of the intensive care unit and keeps improving by the day according to Yahoo Sports.
“She’s doing better now.”
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback
Loudoun County Police Reports Detail Prior Family Contacts
Public records requests obtained by The Athletic and reported by Heavy.com revealed that Loudoun County deputies had responded to multiple calls at the Bieniemy residence in the two months preceding the July 26 shooting. Among the records, an incident report dated July 24 indicated that a 27-year-old man contacted authorities to report that his parents were withholding his firearms noted Heavy.com.
According to that police report, the caller stated that his parents are withholding his weapons and that he’s a certified UFC fighter, so now he feels like he cannot defend himself cited Heavy.com from incident files. The same report documented that the individual kept rambling on about possessing CPR certification according to Heavy.com. Deputies also responded to a June 1 welfare check request initiated by a remote college counselor, alongside a separate redacted incident report from June 22 stated Heavy.com. Law enforcement officials emphasized that this remains an active criminal investigation per Heavy.com.
Chiefs Offense Welcomes Back Its Longtime Coordinator
Bieniemy rejoined the Chiefs organization earlier this year to serve as offensive coordinator, replacing Matt Nagy, who was hired as the offensive coordinator of the New York Giants reported by NBC News. Bieniemy previously spent time away from Kansas City serving as offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders, followed by stints at UCLA and as running backs coach for the Chicago Bears noted NBC News. Team leadership hopes his return brings back the exact level of discipline and attention to detail that general manager Brett Veach noted was missing during the team’s 6-11 campaign last season nytimes.com.
