Andy Reid defends Eric Bieniemy after LeSean McCoy criticism
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Former Kansas City Chiefs running back LeSean McCoy made it clear on a podcast that he didn’t enjoy working with offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, but head coach Andy Reid doesn’t think that’s a reflection of Bieniemy’s coaching abilities.
In an appearance on the « I Am Athlete Tonight » podcast, McCoy said Bieniemy « talks to [players] a certain way » and that’s the reason he hasn’t received a head-coaching opportunity.
« Some players will take it, » McCoy said. « I wouldn’t take it — like, ‘Whoa.’ … There is a reason why that every year, they have him up to get a job — and then when the time comes, nobody hires him because they know the type of coach he really is. »
Reid said he wasn’t surprised by the comments from McCoy and said that star players on the back end of their careers can struggle with criticism.
« I’m a big LeSean fan, » Reid said Thursday, via Arrowhead Pride. « In my eyes, he’s a future Hall of Fame running back. If you look at it statistically, he’s tremendous. But he wasn’t the youngest pup in the kennel here. He was on the back side [of his career] — and sometimes that’s hard to take.
« Sometimes it’s hard on a veteran player. Maybe their performance level isn’t what it used to be — and it’s hard to take sometimes. [Bieniemy’s] going to push you to try to maximize what you’ve got. That’s one of his strengths. »
McCoy, 33, earned three trips to the Pro Bowl during his time with the Philadelphia Eagles and another three Pro Bowl nods during a stint with the Buffalo Bills. He signed with the Chiefs in 2019 at age 31 and finished his only year on the team with 465 rushing yards, 181 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
