It’s happening, at least virtually.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Houston Texans will be conducting a virtual interview with Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
Initially, the Texans were going to have wait for the Chiefs to get knocked out of the playoffs or advance to the Super Bowl to have a chance to interview Bieniemy. However, the league adapted their rules to allow for teams to conduct virtual interviews with coaching candidates whose present teams are still in the postseason.
Bieniemy is a favorite of Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, who says he has heard good things about Patrick Mahomes’ offensive coordinator.
“I haven’t spoken to Patrick about Eric, but I’ve known about Eric from what I hear from guys that play on that team,” Watson told reporters on Dec. 16, 2020. “He’s a great guy. He’s a fun guy to be around. Very creative. Everyone likes him. I haven’t heard anything bad. That’s pretty much it. I haven’t spoken too much about that.”
The Texans need to make the right coaching hire that will get their franchise quarterback back on good terms with the organization. Bieniemy would be that hire. However, the organization must also select a candidate that has the ability to push Houston back into playoff contention, and questions remain as to whether Bieniemy can do that as a rookie coach.
