Patrick Mahomes says it’s been a ‘smooth transition’ from Eric Bieniemy to Matt Nagy as Chiefs OC

One of the more underrated storylines throughout this offseason is that the defending Super Bowl champions will have a new leader on offense. After Eric Bieniemy departed Kansas City to accept the assistant head coach/offensive coordinator position with the Washington Commanders, Matt Nagy has now ascended to OC of this high-flying Chiefs unit. 

While this does present a change heading into 2023, there is plenty of familiarity with Nagy, who previously held this position from 2016-2017 and worked with Patrick Mahomes throughout his rookie season. 

“It’s been easy, I think for me, just because I was here when he was the OC the first time,” Mahomes told reporters of Nagy assuming the OC role, via Pro Football Talk. “Obviously, EB will be missed. I mean the way he was able to take us and lead us to be the offense that we’ve had these last few years — so he’ll definitely be missed. But, I’m glad it’s someone that I’m comfortable with, someone that I’ve worked with before.”

Mahomes only played one game during his rookie season when Nagy was in his first go-around as offensive coordinator as Alex Smith was still the team’s starting signal-caller. However, the 45-year-old coach has a strong history with Mahomes and even helped facilitate the Chiefs taking him in the 2017 NFL Draft. Last year when Nagy was a senior assistant/quarterbacks coach, Mahomes had arguably the best season of his career, logging a career high in passing yards and winning his second league MVP award. 

Of course, with Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid still atop the offensive masthead the pillars of Kansas City’s offense will remain even with this transition, but they are using this time throughout the offseason to work through some of the minor changes.

“I think the guys are starting to learn on how he wants things done,” Mahomes said. “Even though [it’s] the same system, it’s obviously a little bit different on the guy and the coach and stuff like that. It’s been a smooth transition so far and now it’s about kind of continuing to build and build until the season.”

This change certainly doesn’t change how the Chiefs are being viewed entering the 2023 season as they are the betting favorite to repeat as Super Bowl champions at Caesars Sportsbook and Mahomes is the odds-on favorite to repeat as league MVP.