Consistency in Coaching is just as important as the players’ consistency. The Kansas City Chiefs made big changes to their offensive staff this year. Can consistency be created in the offseason to make a difference in 2026?
Coaching Consistency: In the immortal words of Eminem, “Guess who’s back, back again?” The Chiefs showed Matt Nagy the door and brought back Eric Bieniemy with the hope of returning to the Super Bowl glory they had with him from 2013 to 2022, when he initially was the running backs coach before being promoted to Offensive Coordinator. The Chiefs had a better run game when Bieniemy was their OC, but in his stints with other teams, he leaned heavily on the passing game, including a game with the Washington Commanders when he called 55 consecutive passing plays. He has a history of abandoning the run game if his team is behind. In KC, however, HC Andy Reid will still be calling the plays. The offense isn’t expected to change much, but Bieniemy is well known as a task master and stickler for accountability, so an overall improvement across the offense is expected. As we all know, this season will depend on the recovery of Mahomes.
QB: This is the million-dollar question; will Mahomes be ready for Week 1? Reportedly, he has been rehabbing aggressively since January with his eye on not missing a game. If he’s not ready, the Chiefs have Justin Fields and Chris Oladokun waiting in the wings.
Wide Receivers: The Chiefs don’t have a history of signing Boy Scouts to fill their receiver room, and Rashee Rice is no exception. As far as consistency goes, though, Rashee Rice is outstanding. He has improved his consistency rating each year he’s been in the league and was #4 last season with 88% consistency. When he’s on the field, he’s good, very good. But…over the last three years, he has only played in 55% of the Chiefs’ games. As long as training camp goes well, Mahomes plays the whole season, and the league doesn’t suspend him for anything, I want him on my team with a fourth-round pick. If you’re a sucker for lack of consistency, then Xavier Worthy is your man. In his two years on the field, he has shown flashes of superb ability but hasn’t been used enough to have consistent stats. He’s still young and may have the potential for a breakout this season IF Mahomes returns for the whole season. Other KC wide receivers are Jaylen Royals and Tyquan Thornton.
Running Backs: The Chiefs fixed their RB room by buying Kenneth Walker. But did they really fix their RB room? Kenneth Walker has only played one full season during his three years in the league. His best consistency ranking, 82%, was in the 2024 season when he played in 11 games. When he plays, he plays well. Let’s hope that the Chiefs use him appropriately. The backups are Emari Demercado and Emmett Johnson.
Tight Ends: Travis Swift returns for presumably one more season. He was 8th in consistency at the tight end position and played in all 17 games. A lot of people are off the Travis Kelce train because of his age. Don’t get off the Travis Kelce train yet. It hasn’t left the station yet… In 2025, he was third in TE scoring with only Trey McBride and Kyle Pitts. If you don’t want to spend early draft capital on a one-size-fits-all position, grab Travis Kelce in the tenth round. His backup is Noah Gray or Jared Wiley.
The Kansas City Chiefs will return with a formidable roster and should have higher point totals this season across the board. The return of Eric Bieniemy will help across the board at every offensive position.
