Matt Nagy Named Chiefs OC After Eric Bieniemy's Contract Agreement with Commanders

The Kansas City Chiefs announced they promoted Matt Nagy to offensive coordinator after Eric Bieniemy took the same job with the Washington Commanders.

Nagy joined Kansas City's staff as the quarterbacks coach in 2013. He was the offensive coordinator in 2016 and 2017 before leaving after one season to coach the Chicago Bears. The 44-year-old returned in 2022 to coach the quarterbacks.

Nagy's stint in Chicago is widely considered a major disappointment.

The Bears went 12-4 and looked like a genuine title contender in 2018, only for the infamous "Double Doink" to send them packing in the playoffs. That was the height of the Nagy era with the team failing to post a winning record in his final three years.

The extent to which Justin Fields looked lost as a rookie before thriving in 2022 under Matt Eberflus was another indictment.

But Nagy delivered results in his sole campaign (2017) running the Chiefs offense without a co-offensive coordinator. They ranked fourth in offensive efficiency, per Football Outsiders, while averaging 375.4 yards and 25.9 points per game. And that was with Alex Smith rather than Patrick Mahomes at quarterback.

As long as Mahomes stays healthy, you wouldn't expect the offense to fall off much in 2023.

The most fascinating aspect of Nagy's promotion is what it could forecast off the field rather than on it.

The MMQB's Albert Breer reported on Feb. 13 that Nagy could be one of the top candidates to replace Andy Reid once Reid hangs up his whistle. Friday's move seemingly lends some credence to that idea.

Nagy could plausibly earn himself another coaching opportunity elsewhere too. Josh McDaniels followed a similar path when he flamed out as head coach of the Denver Broncos, returned to the New England Patriots and eventually wound up with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Should that happen, fans would inevitably contrast Nagy's coaching arc with that of Bieniemy, whose wait for a head coaching gig continues despite what he achieved in Kansas City.