Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy Wasted No Time Nitpicking Kenneth Walker III's Game
After reaching three straight Super Bowls and winning two, the Kansas City Chiefs unraveled in 2025.
The Chiefs finished 6-11, their first sub-.500 record since Andy Reid became head coach in 2013, and two-time NFL MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in the process. Mahomes wore down before that, though, having to carry an undue load for an offense that posed absolutely zero threat in the running game.
Kansas City moved to take running off Mahomes’ plate by signing former Seattle Seahawks running back and reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III when free agency opened in March.
The Chiefs also shook up the offensive coaching staff, headlined by the return of Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator. Mahomes’ best individual statistical seasons came under Bieniemy from 2018 to 2022.
Bieniemy and Walker III were both brought to Kansas City to make Mahomes’ life easier, and Bieniemy made it clear to Walker III that it’s his job to make his life a little more difficult.
“Just intense,” Walker III told Kay Adams. “From the first night I met him, we were just meeting up [and] going to dinner. He was talking about, like, stuff that I did wrong on the field, and just talking about everything I need to be detailed at. I knew what I was getting into when I met him. He wants the best for everybody, but he got high standards, and that’s good if you want to be better.”
Bieniemy is known for his no-nonsense coaching style - get ready to hear every Chief say the word “accountability” a billion times next season - dating back to his days as the Minnesota Vikings’ running backs coach from 2006 to 2010.
Bieniemy coached all-time great running back Adrian Peterson for four of those years, and this video of Bieniemy riding Peterson at practice is part of his lore:
The Chiefs don’t need Walker III to be prime Adrian Peterson, though that would be nice. They just need him to become the first 1,000-yard rusher of Mahomes’ career. The last Chiefs running back to record at least 1,000 rushing yards in a season was Kareem Hunt, when Alex Smith was still under center in 2017.
Walker III rushed for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns across 17 regular-season games last season.
He played even better during the Seahawks’ three-game playoff run. After Zach Charbonnet tore his ACL in Seattle’s 41-6 NFC Divisional win over San Francisco, Walker III finished the game with 116 yards and three touchdowns. He tallied 135 yards on 27 carries in Super Bowl LX, winning MVP as the Seahawks beat the New England Patriots, 29-13.
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This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 9:57 PM.