Commanders ‘working through’ Eric Bieniemy’s status after hiring new offensive coordinator, per report

On Monday morning, the Washington Commanders announced that they had hired former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury as their next offensive coordinator. Yet if you go to the team’s official website, last season’s offensive coordinator — Eric Bieniemy — is still listed as occupying the position. 

So, what does that mean for Bieniemy?

According to Pro Football Talk, the issue is expected to be addressed later on Monday, when new head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters meet the media. A source told PFT the Commanders are ‘working through’ Bieniemy’s situation.

Bieniemy was hired last offseason to be the offensive coordinator under former Commanders head coach Ron Rivera. But his hiring happened before the team was sold from Daniel Snyder to a group led by Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils owner Josh Harris.

The Commanders have already made a change at head coach from Rivera to Quinn, the former Cowboys defensive coordinator, and Quinn has already landed his new offensive coordinator. What there is to “work through” about Bieniemy’s status is unclear. It seems highly unlikely that he would return in a reduced role under Kingsbury. 

It’s worth noting that all the head-coaching openings this offseason have been filled. The two currently-open offensive coordinator jobs are with the Chargers and Seahawks, who recently hired Jim Harbaugh and Mike Macdonald, respectively, as their new head coaches. A return to Kansas City as an assistant head coach would seem possible for Bieniemy if he doesn’t land a job elsewhere, but given that the success he had as an offensive coordinator there did not lead the the head-coaching opportunity he has been pursuing, that would seem like a step backward. 

This will all presumably be cleared up in the coming days (or even hours), but for right now, it’s quite an awkward situation.