As Commanders offseason uncertainty looms, Eric Bieniemy narrows focus

So how much has Bieniemy considered his own future amid the pending upheaval?

“That’s actually a great question,” he said with a smile Thursday. “I’m surprised that it’s the first time it’s come up.”

A longtime assistant who spent 10 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs before arriving in Washington, Bieniemy has fielded the question many times before but typically in the context of his potential to be a head coach. Over the years, he has interviewed for 16 top jobs with 15 different teams, including the Colts last offseason (Indianapolis instead hired Shane Steichen).

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His task in Washington was to revamp an offense that lagged in 2022 behind a rotation of starting quarterbacks — a far cry from Kansas City’s consistent success with quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

“Well, 4-9 is tough,” Bieniemy said. “It’s very tough, not going to lie. It can emotionally eat at you, it can physically drain you. But like everything, I’m built for this because the thing that I always look at is what can we do better? How can I grow as a coach? How can I grow as a communicator? How can I grow as a coordinator?”

Bieniemy says his focus is rooted in the present and that he filters out any chatter about the future. But such talk came early for the Commanders this season.

“I got to make sure that I’m accountable to our coaching staff. I got to make sure that I’m accountable to our players. I got to make sure that I’m accountable to this entire organization,” Bieniemy added. “I can’t worry about the outside noise and everything that’s taking place.”

Bieniemy is quick to remind that he was also a coordinator in Kansas City and had some play-calling responsibilities, but he believes he has grown in his role with the Commanders.

“Just taking input,” he said. “Sometimes Coach Eric Bieniemy can be very hardheaded and stubborn, so that’s one thing. Another thing is just making sure as a staff, collectively, that we’re doing an overall job of over communicating with one another. And then once you do that, that eliminates a lot of things. And then maximizing the talent that we have. Sometimes you got to simplify. Sometimes less is more. So those are some of the things that I’ve learned.”

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Bieniemy’s approach is similar to that of others — players included — for the final four games. With the Commanders 4-9, the stretch run is another tryout of sorts. Close to 20 players will be unrestricted free agents in March, and others have contracts that offer little, if any, security for the future.

“Regardless of the circumstances, every time you step on the field, it’s a job interview — for not just here but any other team,” guard Sam Cosmi said. “You have to have that inner motivation. … You got to perform. It’s a performance business.”

Finding ways to help their youngest players perform is on the to-do list for both Bieniemy and Coach Ron Rivera. Rivera has tweaked the defense to help less-experienced players in the secondary play faster. And on Wednesday, the team released veteran cornerback Danny Johnson and claimed rookie Kyu Kelly off waivers from the Green Bay Packers. The move was geared toward providing more opportunity for younger players.

Rookie Emmanuel Forbes is expected to return from an elbow injury for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams (6-7) in Inglewood, Calif., and second-year corner Tariq Castro-Fields was recently signed to the active roster.

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Quarterback Sam Howell is among the team’s youngest players, but his first season as a full-time starter impressed many, including Rivera and Bieniemy. Yet even his future could be impacted by the team’s draft slot — likely high — and bevy of early picks.

With four games left and little clarity ahead, he has taken Bieniemy’s lead and narrowed his focus.

“I don’t worry about it,” Howell said. “… Whatever happens, happens. I try to control what I can control and try to play my best and try to make those decisions easier. But at the end of the day, it is what it is. I just got to try to keep doing what I can, keep trying to lead this football team and keep trying to get some wins.”