Why Chiefs' run game issues aren't fixed with Bieniemy hire originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
One of the biggest issues for the Kansas City Chiefs' offense last season was the run game, or lack thereof.
With Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco, the Chiefs averaged 106.6 yards per game, ranking them 24th in football. That isn't great.
But now that Eric Bieniemy is the offensive coordinator, fresh from his time with the Chicago Bears as their running backs coach, he returns to the Chiefs in 2026 to be alongside Andy Reid.
And Bieniemy has stated he wants to fix the run game in 2026.
“We’re going to make sure we can do the things we can do best," Bieniemy said. "Have I been exposed to a number of run schemes? Yes. We need to find what we do best.”
More: Chiefs coach unknowingly drops monster update on Travis Kelce's future
Chiefs run game might not be fixed
After seeing what the Bears' run game was like last year, you could be forgiven for thinking something similar could be coming Kansas City's way.
But looking at the stats, the Chiefs, when Bieniemy was OC, were exactly great at running the ball.
From 2018 to 2023, the Chiefs never had a top-10 run game; they averaged over 110 rushing yards just three times, and never finished higher than 13th in the NFL.
However, when it came to passing? The Chiefs were a different beast. They ranked first in touchdowns twice, and first in yards twice, and were top-five in yards in five of his six seasons, and top five in touchdowns in four of his six seasons.
So, the run game might not be about to get an overhaul. But it surely has to be better than last year, right?
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