The Andy Reid coaching tree is one that the Chicago Bears haven't shied away from in the past.
Most notably, the Bears turned to Reid's coaching staff in 2018 when they hired Matt Nagy to be their next head coach. What the Bears found out is that they shouldn't always trust the rise of an offensive assistant when they are working under one of the best offensive minds in all of football.
While many have been quick to make the connections to Nagy with the Bears hiring Ben Johnson this offseason, the two are different situations. With the Detroit Lions, Johnson was the play-caller within his personally constructed offense. That wasn't the case for Nagy.
That doesn't mean that Johnson shied away from Reid's coaching staff. In fact, one of the more impressive hires that Johnson made this offseason was adding Eric Bieniemy as the team's running backs coach. Bieniemy was among the coaches present among the Bears' contingent at the Ohio State Buckeyes Pro Day last week.
Bieniemy figures to have an important role on the Bears' offensive coaching staff, and that comes as no surprise to his former boss.
#Chiefs HC Andy Reid on #Bears new RB Coach Eric Bieniemy:
— Herb Howard (@HerbHoward411) March 31, 2025
“(At handling a RB Room) He’s the best.”
“The #Bears are lucky to have him.”
“He’s one of the best leaders I’ve ever been around.”#TheBIGS #ItsUS pic.twitter.com/wxreL4RmAZ
Eric Bieniemy's addition to the Bears' coaching staff shouldn't be overlooked.
Bieniemy earned his calling card in the NFL as a running backs coach. While there is some surprise that he never landed a head coaching job at the NFL level, he remains one of the best positional coaches in the league. Considering the importance that Johnson's offense has on running backs, Bieniemy will likely be a popular voice among the walls at Halas Hall.
It will also be interesting to see what influence, if any, Bieniemy has on the Bears' 2025 NFL Draft Plans. As noted, Bieniemy was at the Buckeyes Pro Day last week. The Buckeyes have two running backs in TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins who could be options for the Bears in the middle rounds.
The Bears still have D'Andre Swift on their roster and likely will when the 2025 season starts. Despite baseless rumors that suggest otherwise, Swift has value on the Bears' roster moving forward.