Why Chiefs’ Brashard Smith Will Adore Eric Bieniemy

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – In 10 years, few people will remember Jan. 4.

Brashard Smith will, however.

In a forgettable 14-12 loss to the league’s worst team at Las Vegas, Smith started in the backfield and got the Chiefs’ full offensive focus. At one point in the first quarter, Reid went to Smith on four of five snaps. He finished with 56 yards on 12 carries (4.7 avg.), including a 14-yard burst.

Before deciding on Hunt, Pacheco, Chiefs chose Smith

The Chiefs have some important decisions to make regarding veteran free-agent running backs Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco, but they telegraphed to the league in the Raiders game that their future is Smith.

Smith said entering that final game that he wanted to take steps toward looking like a running back, after playing most of his college career as a wide receiver. Andy Reid this week made the best decision to help Smith in that endeavor, bringing back Eric Bieniemy.

Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams won't be same without Bieniemy

A lot of analysts have noted the 2025 partnership between Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams is most comparable to the Chiefs’ 2018 run with Reid and a young Patrick Mahomes. But if the Bears are going to make another deep run in the playoffs, they’ll have to do it without the common denominator, Bieniemy.

Just as Chad O’Shea developed Julian Edelman in New England, Bieniemy can boost the career trajectory of Smith in Kansas City. The biggest indicator is what Bieniemy did in 2025 with the player Chicago selected five picks after the Chiefs chose Smith, seventh-round rookie Kyle Monangai.

The 233rd-overall selection last April, Monangai finished with fifth among rookie players in both scrimmage yards (947) and rushing yards (783). He had two 100-yard rushing games, including a breakout 176-yard performance in a Nov. 2 win over Cincinnati. After that game, Bieniemy explained how he coaches young backs like Monangai.

“I told him, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” Bieniemy said in November. “We have the sand that I talk about each and every week. We want to make sure that we’re going out there and introducing ourselves. People need to know who we are, and what I mean by that, you got to physically fall forward but on top of that, you got to find a way to finish runs. We have a thing, ‘Find 4-and-a-half. Anything after that is a bonus.”

Monangai found 6.8 that day, and finished averaging 4.6 per carry. His veteran teammate, D’Andre Swift, had the best year of his career in his only season with Bieniemy, including single-season bests in scrimmage yards (1,386) and rushing touchdowns (nine).

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