Mia Bieniemy was shot on July 26, and Eric Bieniemy left the Kansas City Chiefs soon after to be with his wife and the rest of his family. The couple's 27-year-old son, Elijah, was arrested in connection with the shooting.
Bieniemy returned to Kansas City last week ahead of the team’s preseason loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The Chiefs offensive coordinator hinted that his return was prompted by some gentle encouragement from Mia, joking that he had been "driving her and a bunch of my family members crazy" while staying by her side during her recovery from the shooting at their Virginia home.
Speaking publicly about the shooting for the first time on Tuesday, Bieniemy said his wife’s progress gave him the comfort he needed to return to football. "First and foremost, yes, she's on a great road to recovery. Yes, she's doing great."
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"It is one of the main reasons that I am back here, because of her recovery. She's truly a soldier. She's a saint. And it's been incredible to watch."
Bieniemy, who spent the 2023 season as the Washington Commanders’ offensive coordinator, remained closely involved with the Chiefs while back home in Ashburn, Virginia. He watched practices at Missouri Western State University remotely and regularly joined team meetings before and after workouts.
Eventually, Bieniemy called Chiefs general manager Brett Veach at one point, knowing Andy Reid was sitting beside him, and had Veach pass over the phone so he could point out a small coaching detail involving one of the players.
"I was yelling at the screen, yelling at players, yelling at coaches — 'What the hell are we doing?!' I'm yelling at myself, 'Why would you put that play in!?'" Bieniemy said, smiling. "At the end of the day, I was making sure I was keeping up with what was going on."
At the same time, he was driving Mia and the rest of the family crazy.
"So she was like, 'You have my blessing to leave,'" Eric said, "so it was time to get back."
Elijah Bieniemy has been charged with malicious wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and discharge of a firearm inside a dwelling. His court appearances remain delayed pending a mental health evaluation.
"I'd like to say thank you to the Hunt family, the entire Chiefs family for the outpouring, the love and support that my family has received through this particular situation," Eric Bieniemy said. "And with all that said, we're back to football."
Bieniemy was part of coaching staffs that helped the Chiefs reach three Super Bowls and win two, and he helped to set the foundation for the dynasty to come.
Following a one-season stint with the Commanders, Bieniemy spent one season at UCLA before coaching the Chicago Bears’ running backs last season. He returned to Kansas City to replace Matt Nagy, who left to become the New York Giants’ offensive coordinator.
"Obviously, it’s great to have him back. We missed him and prayed for his family when he was out," Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton said. "But to have a guy like that come back to the field, man, a competitor — it brings out the best in us."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.