A new candidate in the Arizona Cardinals head coach search has emerged. Eric Bieniemy, the Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator, is the latest name to be rumored to be Arizona’s next head coach. The rumor arose from Johnny Venerable and Bo Brack via the PHNX podcast by a ‘trusted source’.
Bieniemy has not been in the head coaching talk as much this year. There were several consecutive years where Bienemy was considered one of the hottest names, but he has yet to land a head coaching gig. This year, he only had one head coach interview (with the Indianapolis Colts) but has been receiving offensive coordinator looks from the likes of the Baltimore Ravens, who are currently searching for Greg Roman’s successor.
Before this, Bieniemy has not been linked to the Cardinals. He was scheduled to interview for their head coach vacancy in 2019, but he declined their approach due to a packed schedule. Since then, Arizona and Bieniemy have been on separate paths. However, it seems that he is a dark horse candidate for the Cardinals top job four years later.
Eric Bieniemy is a New Name in Arizona Cardinals Head Coach Search
What We Know
As of now, any potential interest in Bieniemy by the Cardinals is not public knowledge. He is, therefore, still not considered a frontrunner for the job. However, some things make sense.
The first is Michael Bidwill and Monti Ossenfort’s patience. The head coach search is nearing a month now, but Bidwill has openly said that no new head coach would be appointed until after the Super Bowl. There is, after all, no rush. With three of the five head coaching vacancies now filled, the Cardinals can take their time and play the slow game. They now have the liberty to choose between their finalists without the pressure of any of them getting poached by other teams.
Part of the delay was due to Ossenfort’s appointment. The team had to recalibrate their search in line with the new GM’s vision. Part of it is also down to Bidwill’s intention to cast a wide net. The team has looked at over 12 candidates for the top job and has undertaken the task meticulously.
Head Coach search update from Michael Bidwill. pic.twitter.com/w622mNxKrE
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) February 11, 2023
The Remaining Candidates
The current frontrunners for the Cardinals job are Mike Kafka and Lou Anarumo. Both had second interviews during the Super Bowl week and impressed Bidwill greatly. They were the only two finalists after the Cardinals reset their search thanks to some key candidates pulling out and being poached.
While Kafka and Anarumo are the clear favorites currently, there are a few candidates lurking in the shadows. It has long been known that Arizona is keen to pursue Jonathan Gannon. While he stated that he wanted to stay with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023, some question whether that is truly going to happen. The Cardinals requested an interview with Gannon just before the Super Bowl. Gannon was also a candidate for the Houston Texans, but they decided to hire DeMeco Ryans instead of waiting for Gannon.
The other two names to watch are Shane Steichen and now, Bieniemy. Steichen, the Eagles offensive coordinator, also received interest from the Colts and Carolina Panthers (who ultimately opted for Frank Reich). The Cardinals have not requested an interview with Steichen, but Bidwill and his team put in a lot of work into researching him early in the cycle. He is, however, the frontrunner for the Colts job currently.
So, as it stands, the two known finalists are Kafka and Anarumo. There is significant smoke to suggest that Gannon could be in the running too. Steichen and Bieniemy are very much long shots currently. Many outlets have reported that Arizona plans to announce a new head coach early next week. It would make interviewing all three of Gannon, Steichen, and Bieniemy difficult. Therefore, it is unclear what will come of these rumors, if anything.
Bieniemy’s Fit in Arizona
Bieniemy is a good fit for Arizona and this has long been documented. He runs an exciting offense in Kansas City, which is primarily focused on Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. The offense is dynamic and unpredictable, something that Kliff Kingsbury failed to maintain. Many have questioned whether Bieniemy’s success is down to Andy Reid’s playcalling, but others would argue that being a head coach does not require Bieniemy to be a good play-caller anyway.
While it is a far stretch to compare the Cardinals to the Chiefs, Arizona certainly has potential. Kyler Murray is far from Mahomes, there is no denying that. However, when healthy and confident, Murray can be a top-five quarterback in the league. The Murray that we saw at the start of 2021 is the gold standard. Given Bieniemy’s work with Mahomes, he could be a good candidate to reinstate some electricity to Murray’s game.
There is also a case for Bieniemy’s experience. He has been in the NFL for a while now and has been the Chiefs offensive coordinator for five years. His jump to being a head coach has been expected for a while now, even if nothing has materialized. At 53, Bieniemy could be another Bruce Arians-esque hire by the Cardinals, in the sense that he would be an older candidate getting their first head coaching shot. Having spent a decade in Kansas City, the belief is also that Bieniemy would be able to build a very strong roster from the assortment of Chiefs coaches.
Main Photo: Denny Medley – USA TODAY Sports
