Ben Johnson landed another puzzle piece in his Chicago Bears rebuild on Saturday night, appointing Eric Bieniemy as running backs coach.
Johnson, who himself took over as head coach after leaving the Detroit Lions in January, has appointed a coach with plenty of NFL pedigree to his backroom staff.
The 55-year-old Bieniemy spent nine years at the Kansas City Chiefs from 2013 until 2022. He worked as running backs coach and offensive coordinator for Andy Reid, contributing to two Super Bowl victories in the 2019 and 2022 seasons.
His last coaching job was at college level with UCLA in 2024, taking that job after Dan Quinn chose not to retain him as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator after a year at Washington Commanders.
Bieniemy has also been running backs coach for the Minnesota Vikings, too.
The Bears ended last season with a miserable 5-12 record in the NFC North despite drafting quarterback Caleb Williams with the first pick of the 2024 Draft.
Eric Bieniemy is back in the NFL as running backs coach with the Chicago Bears
Bieniemy worked with Andy Reid at the Chiefs for nine years and won two Super Bowl titles
Johnson has also recruited Dennis Allen as his defensive coordinator in Chicago.
Allen held that post with the New Orleans Saints for seven years before taking over as head coach in Louisiana in 2021.
That run ended this year, when the Saints fired him in November for their seventh straight loss.
Johnson gave a confident first impression after taking the helm in Chicago and leaving his post as offensive coordinator with the Detroit Lions.
He was an in-demand name in the recent round of coaching changes, with Tom Brady also pursuing him for the Las Vegas Raiders.
‘I wanted to stay in this division,’ Johnson said, explaining why he left to an NFC North rival. ‘I know this is the toughest division in football right now.
‘There’s three teams that made the playoffs this year. I’ve got tremendous amount of respect for the coaches and players in this league.
‘I’ve competed against them for the past three years. Dan Campbell, Kevin O’Connell, you talk about two guys who are up for Coach of the Year awards as the season ends here.’
