A portion of Brian Flores' lawsuit against the NFL -- in which he's alleged racial discrimination in regard to its hiring practices -- mentions the head coaching candidacy of Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who has long been recognized as one of the top assistants in the league. For reasons unknown, Bieniemy didn't receive a single head coaching offer last year, and it appears that he won't be given an opportunity in 2022.
Flores' lawsuit states, "Without question, Mr. Bieniemy has the pedigree, track record and reputation to make him a sought-after Head Coach." In addition, it notes that, over the past five years, several white candidates "who are clearly less qualified" have been extended head coaching offers from teams. And so the question remains: why hasn't Bieniemy been promoted? Is it due to race, or something else?
"People have created this line of demarcation, to an extent, to what he can and can't do," former NFL halfback Tiki Barber told The Zach Gelb Show on Wednesday. "Despite him -- by all reports coming from the Chiefs' players themselves -- being a great leader, he can't break through the perception. And once you're a hot candidate for more than a couple of years and you don't get a job, that means you don't interview well.
"And all of the sudden, you're no longer a hot candidate. I think he's fallen into the pit of success, if there's such a thing... That opportunity has now become something that's held against him. I don't think it has anything to do with [skin color]. There's too many people who say good things about him for that to be the case. It's just a relatability, that he doesn't interview well enough. And it's cliche, derogatory, and demeaning, but I don't know what else it could be."
Bieniemy, who became offensive coordinator in 2018, has helped guide the Chiefs to four consecutive AFC title game appearances and one Super Bowl title (2019). In his four seasons, Kansas City's offense has scored the most points per game in the league (30.3) and racked up the most yards (404.2). This season, the unit ranked third in average yards (396.8), fourth in average points (28.2), and fourth in total points (480).
In this position with the Chiefs, Bieniemy has only mentored star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The former MVP completed 66.3-percent of his passes in 17 games this season, and racked up 4,839 yards with 37 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Kansas City's campaign didn't end on a high note, however, as they were upset by the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC title game last Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.
The entire NFL conversation between Barber and Gelb can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The Zach Gelb Show on Twitter @ZachGelb and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.