Eric Bieniemy's Wife Recovering Well After Shooting Incident

Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy announced that his wife, Mia, is recovering well following a shooting incident in July. She sustained multiple gunshot wounds at their Ashburn, Virginia, home when their youngest son, Elijah, 27, allegedly shot her. The case against Elijah is progressing after he underwent a psychological evaluation and was deemed competent to stand trial.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Bieniemy expressed optimism about his wife's recovery. "She's doing great," he said, noting that Mia recently joined the Chiefs' wives on a trip. "Her rehab has been going great. So she actually had an opportunity to come out here and hang out."

Mia had been in Virginia for her recovery and this trip to Kansas City marked her first time traveling since the incident. Elijah was charged with malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and discharging a firearm inside a dwelling. His public defender has indicated he suffers from significant mental health issues, and his legal team may pursue a defense of not guilty by reason of insanity.

Bieniemy was at Chiefs training camp in Kansas City when the incident occurred and immediately traveled to be with his wife. He returned to the team two weeks later, stating Mia had given him her "blessing" to rejoin the team. "She is on a road to recovery," Bieniemy said upon his return. "She is doing great. It's one of the main reasons why I'm back here because of her recovery."

He described Mia as a "soldier" and a "saint" for her strength during this difficult period. He also shared that Mia encouraged him to return to his coaching duties, though he admitted to being a restless observer from home, yelling at the television during games. "At the end of the day, I was making sure I was keeping up with what was going on. So she was like, 'You have my blessing to leave,' so it was time to get back."