Commanders HC Rivera Told Bieniemy 'I Put My Foot in My Mouth' with Intensity Comment

Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera suggested Wednesday that he regretted public comments he made about some players expressing concern over offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy's coaching style.

Speaking Wednesday at a press conference, Rivera told reporters the following regarding what he said Tuesday and how he addressed it with Bieniemy: "I basically told him I put my foot in my mouth. I think what I said wasn't as clear as it needed to be. I think the understanding of it is just the fact that I think everybody's making, in my opinion, a little bit more than needs to be made of this."

On Tuesday, Rivera told reporters that some players were "a little concerned" with Bieniemy's intensity during practice, adding: "I had a number of guys come to me and I said, 'Hey, just go talk to him.' I said, 'Understand what he's trying to get across to you.' As they go and they talk and they listen to him, it's been enlightening for a lot of these guys. I mean, it's a whole different approach."

After spending the previous five seasons as the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive coordinator, Bieniemy was hired as the Commanders' OC this offseason.

While Bieniemy was the offensive coordinator in Kansas City and helped the Chiefs win two Super Bowls, he did not call the plays, as head coach Andy Reid was responsible for guiding quarterback Patrick Mahomes in that regard.

Bieniemy has taken part in numerous head coaching interviews in recent years, only to be passed over for other candidates. In an apparent effort to better position himself for head coaching opportunities in the future, Bieniemy took the OC job in Washington where he will have play-calling autonomy.

During his time in Kansas City, Bieniemy did a lot of winning at a high level, which is something much of Washington's roster has yet to experience in the NFL.

While the Chiefs have reached the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons, the Commanders have just one playoff appearance in the past seven campaigns. They also haven't won a playoff game since the 2005 season.

Given the winning environment Bieniemy has been around during his NFL coaching career, he defended his coaching philosophy Tuesday, telling reporters: "I'm always going to be loud, always going to be vocal, always going to demand from my leaders. ... If I ain't doing my job, my ass gets fired. It's my job and my responsibility to make sure I'm getting our guys to do what I'm expecting them to do."

Bieniemy coached offensive superstars like Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and wide receiver Tyreek Hill in Kansas City, but he will now lead far less proven players in Washington.

Second-year player Sam Howell is expected to be the Commanders' starting quarterback, which is a far cry from Bieniemy getting to work with a two-time NFL MVP and two-time Super Bowl MVP in Mahomes.

Bieniemy's success in Washington will likely have a significant hand in whether he receives a shot to become an NFL head coach, and it hasn't taken long for his leadership to be put to the test by a young roster.