Eric Bieniemy is back at Kansas City Chiefs training camp just two weeks after his wife was shot at their family home and their son was arrested.
Bieniemy returned to the team in the offseason as offensive coordinator in a move hailed by Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. But he was excused indefinitely from work following the shocking incident at his Virginia home on July 26.
Footage filmed by reporters showed Bieniemy walking down to the training field alongside former Chiefs running back Damien Williams and declaring: ‘It’s great to be back’ before sharing a hug with Chiefs broadcaster Mitch Holthus. The Chiefs shared a photo of Bieniemy smiling on the practice field on social media with the caption: ‘Happy to have EB back’ alongside a love heart.
Head coach Andy Reid said after practice: ‘Good to have EB back. He’s back in the fold, and I don’t think he missed a step. I’ve talked to him several times a day, so I knew he was coming back. The primary thing was Mia’s stable and in good hands.’
Bieniemy’s son Elijah, 27, was charged with malicious wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and discharge of a firearm inside of a dwelling, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, after a shooting left his mother, Mia, with serious injuries from ‘multiple gunshot wounds’.
She needed surgery after being shot in the left forearm and shoulder by a bullet that traveled across her chest, according to NBC Washington, who say she still has fragments from the bullet inside her after the operation.
Eric Bieniemy has returned to work at Kansas City Chiefs training camp
Bieniemy’s wife Mia was recently shot at their family home
Mia called 911 herself following the incident and dispatchers warned responders that ‘the son still has a weapon currently located within the home.’
After being taken into custody, Elijah has been held by police without bond. A Virginia judge recently approved a motion for a formal mental health evaluation after court documents filed by his public defender saying he ‘appears to suffer from significant mental health issues.’
A court hearing scheduled for August 31 will now be rescheduled.
It has since emerged that the incident followed at least three separate contacts with police coming from the Bieniemy home in recent months.
Just two days before Mia was shot, Elijah Bieniemy called police and complained his parents were withholding his firearms, according to The Athletic.
An incident report stated that in the July 24 call, Elijah said that ‘his parents are withholding his weapons and that he’s a certified UFC fighter so now he feels like he cannot defend himself.’
It added that he ‘kept rambling on about also having his (CPR) license and what if he cannot help,’ and his parents were insisting he surrendered his firearms to keep living at their property.
Loudoun County Deputies received a request to check on Elijah’s welfare on June 1 from a counselor at a remote college where he enrolled in classes.
The response was deemed non-urgent by officers who determined no one had access to weapons at the time.
Elijah Bieniemy, Eric and Mia’s son, was arrested and charged with three felonies
The Chiefs offense is gearing up for a big year with Bieniemy as OC and Patrick Mahomes back
On June 22, another heavily redacted incident report was filed by the sheriff’s office regarding a suspicious circumstance involving two individuals with descriptions matching Elijah and Mia at the address.
Police gave the calls a Stage 3 classification, designating an urgent but non-life-threatening situation.
Eric has been alongside his wife Mia during her recovery, but has remained in close contact with the Chiefs including watching livestreams of Chiefs practices and sharing his feedback.
Before his return, Reid said: ‘Eric’s a big part of this. We love having him here, but it’s important that he takes care of business and everybody knows that. Eric will be back soon enough to jump in there and do his thing, but he’s got to take care of that first.
‘We stay in touch with him and keep him abreast of everything that’s going on. He’s got the tape that he can watch in whatever spare time he’s got there.’
Bieniemy has been called ‘one of my favorite coaches of all time’ by Chiefs star Travis Kelce, who credits him with an enormous role in his development as a player. He was Chiefs offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2022 then returned to the role this offseason having been Washington Commanders OC in 2023.
With Bieniemy back, the Chiefs will continue building up to their 2026 season, with a first preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday then a Week 1 matchup against the Denver Broncos in an AFC West matchup at Arrowhead Stadium on September 14.
