Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy returned to team practices on Monday, two weeks after his wife, Mia Bieniemy, was shot at their Virginia home and their 27-year-old son, Elijah Bieniemy, was arrested in connection with the incident.
Bieniemy was met by a small group of fans as he arrived at the team's training fields at Missouri Western State University. He participated in his first practice since the July 26 shooting.
Elijah Bieniemy has been charged with malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and discharging a firearm inside a dwelling. His court appearances have been postponed pending a mental health evaluation.
During his absence, Bieniemy remained in contact with head coach Andy Reid and other staff members, watching streams of practices. He reportedly once called Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach, who was with Reid, and instructed Veach to hand over the phone so Bieniemy could provide coaching advice to a running back.
Bieniemy had previously served as the offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders for one season after leaving the Chiefs. That tenure followed two Super Bowl victories with Kansas City, where Coach Reid is the primary play-caller. Bieniemy's move to Washington was intended to give him more opportunity to call plays and potentially advance his career toward an NFL head coaching position.
However, the Commanders experienced struggles during his time there, leading to Bieniemy and the coaching staff being let go. He then spent a season with UCLA before coaching running backs for the Chicago Bears last season. He returned to Kansas City as offensive coordinator, replacing Matt Nagy, who took a role with the New York Giants.