Eric Bieniemy has suddenly found his name in the mix for the Houston Texans head coaching job, and a recent change in NFL rules will allow him to interview with the team this week.
The NFL’s anti-tampering rules state that first interviews for head coach candidates need to take place during Wild Card week for teams with a bye and during the Divisional Round for teams without a bye. Both of those windows have closed, but Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported on Monday that the NFL has made an exemption this week for teams with head coaching vacancies to interview coaches who are still in the playoffs as long as their current team consents.
That exemption has paved the way for Bieniemy, the offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs, to interview with the Texans. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reports that Bieniemy will have a virtual meeting with Houston on Monday.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is also expected to interview with the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday.
Bieniemy was originally not considered a candidate for the Texans job, but a lot has changed in the last few weeks. For starters, Houston may need to cast a wide net with how unappealing their head coaching vacancy has become in the wake of the Deshaun Watson drama. It’s also worth noting that a previous report claimed Watson wants the Texans to hire Bieniemy, so perhaps they feel doing so would help them smooth things over with their franchise quarterback.
There has been talk that Bieniemy is waiting for the perfect opportunity before he leaves the Chiefs, so you have to wonder how highly he thinks of the Houston job given the current circumstances.
Bieniemy, 51, has been with the Chiefs since 2013. This is his third season as offensive coordinator with the team.
