Chiefs' key offseason move has nothing to do with Patrick Mahomes or Travis Kelce

The Kansas City Chiefs were in rebuild mode this offseason, as silly as that sounds. A team that's won as many championships as they have the past handful of years really doesn't need a rebuild. But, they didn't make the postseason in 2025, and that's a problem.

So, the Chiefs are back and in it to win it. They made huge headlines when they signed quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a new, blockbuster deal. They also made real noise when they inked Travis Kelce to a new deal, keeping him in the NFL a bit longer.

Those changes got all the headlines. And that makes sense, because Mahomes and Kelce are basically the faces of this franchise. But, there's another move that was crucial.

Chiefs are back with their offensive coordinator, and it's being dubbed the move of the offseason

On Friday, Bucky Brooks of the NFL's official website released a tally of the biggest offseason moves in each NFL division. For the AFC West, he highlights the Chiefs hiring Eric Bieniemy, again, as offensive coordinator.

"Despite Andy Reid continually serving as the Chiefs' primary play-caller, the offense has lacked consistency, discipline and attention to detail without its former coordinator," Brooks wrote. "Kansas City fielded the league's top scoring attack during Bieniemy's last season with the team in 2022; over the past three campaigns, the Chiefs have finished 15th, 15th and 21st."

Bieniemy obviously had a winning formula with the Chiefs that they just couldn't replicate without him. So, they got him back.

"Given the significant decline in the offense's production without Bieniemy on the sideline," Brooks wrote, "the return of the veteran assistant could help the Chiefs bounce back from a 6-11 season."

So, sure, having Kelce back and Mahomes signed to a longer-term deal are great moves. But Bieniemy is the move that could return this franchise to its former glory.