Arrowheadlines: Mike Tomlin wonders why Eric Bieniemy is not a head coach

The latest

Mike Tomlin still confused over how Chiefs’ Eric Bieniemy wasn’t hired as a head coach | CBS Sports

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is the latest to question why Bieniemy isn’t a head coach in the league, despite playing a major role in the Chiefs offense putting up incredible numbers over the last three seasons.

“Bieniemy is a real head-scratcher for me,” Tomlin said on the lack of minority head coaches hired in the NFL, via Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Every offensive coordinator Andy Reid has had in the last 20 years got a head job. One of those guys, Brad Childress, hired me in Minnesota in 2006. Now, Andy has the best offense he’s ever had and [Bieniemy] can’t get a job?”

The Only NFL Players With No-Trade Clauses | Pro Football Rumours

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, OL (Chiefs)

Jimmy Garoppolo, QB (49ers)

Jimmy Graham, TE (Bears)

DeAndre Hopkins, WR (Cardinals)

Patrick Mahomes, QB (Chiefs)

Deshaun Watson, QB (Texans)

Russell Wilson, QB (Seahawks)

The Chiefs, who represent 25% of the list, furnished LDT with a NTC as a part of his contract restructure. Historically, there haven’t been many offensive lineman to secure the clause. However, Duvernay-Tardif had a bit of leverage in 2020 when the Chiefs needed extra cap room. He was scheduled to count for nearly $9MM, $6.45MM of which was comprised of base salary. Instead, he converted some of that money into a signing bonus over the remaining three years and came away with a perk typically reserved for quarterbacks.

Chiefs: Tyreek Hill hilariously puts teammate on blast for gross in-game act | FanSided

Hill and the Chiefs are coming off a disappointing finish, but that doesn’t cloud their entire 2020-21 campaign. Rather, Kansas City is set up to compete for years to come, even with a complicated cap situation this offseason. Patrick Mahomes is locked up for the long-term and so are his weapons, making for an unstoppable offense into the near future at the very least.

The only thing that can stop the Chiefs…are themselves. Tyreek made sure to keep things lite on his end, poking fun at a teammate for…picking their nose. Yes, he’s got the photo to prove it.

The highest-profile free agent for every NFL team | YardBarker

Kansas City Chiefs: Sammy Watkins

On one hand, it sounds crazy that the Chiefs would consider another Watkins deal. They wildly overpaid the former top-five pick in 2018 and saw him battle injuries during a three-year run that did not include a 700-yard season. But Mecole Hardman has yet to show he is capable of being Kansas City’s No. 2 wideout. And Watkins has delivered several big playoff games as a Chief. His injuries will significantly reduce his price as well. Ahead of another season, they will enter as the AFC favorites, the Chiefs have a key decision here. They may need a seasoned WR2. Watkins, 27, could still be a candidate for the gig.

Around the NFL

Jodie Foster thanked Aaron Rodgers in her Golden Globes acceptance speech | ESPN

Jodie Foster won a Golden Globe award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in the legal drama “The Mauritanian,” where she plays the lawyer of a man imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay. Now, Jodie Foster winning an award isn’t unusual — she’s an actress and director with an incredible career that’s spanned decades. She’s been in “Taxi Driver,” “The Silence of the Lambs,” “Contact,” and has directed episodes of “Black Mirror” and “House of Cards.” Her trophy case is pretty full.

No, what’s unusual is that she thanked Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers during her acceptance speech.

Louis Nix, former NFL defensive tackle, dies at age 29 | NFL.com

Nix had been reported missing this past Wednesday and then was found Saturday, per the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. He’d recently survived a December shooting outside a Jacksonville gas station, according to JSO.

Nix has been out of the NFL for four years. The Notre Dame product was a third-round draft pick of the Texans in 2014. He sat out his entire rookie campaign because of injury, played one year with the Giants, which produced all four appearances of his pro career, and then spent a final season on the practice squads of Washington and the Jaguars.

Irv Cross, Pro Bowl CB and pioneer sportscaster, passes away at 81 | NFL.com

After five productive seasons with the Eagles, the 6-foot-2 corner was traded to the Rams. In Los Angeles, Cross continued to make an impact and reached the postseason for the first time in 1967. He returned to Philadelphia for the 1969 campaign as a player/coach before retiring from the playing field and remaining on staff for another season.

In 1971, he joined CBS Sports and became the first African-American sports analyst on national television. His 23-year tenure at the network included being an anchor on the Emmy-Award-winning The NFL Today from its 1975 inception through 1989. Cross then served as an athletic director at Idaho State and Macalester College in Minnesota.

In case you missed it at Arrowhead Pride

Pairing one free agent and one draft prospect to fix the Chiefs’ offensive line

Green Bay Packers’ Corey Linsley and USC’s Alijah Vera-Tucker (Craig)

Linsley is one of the better centers in football and gives the Chiefs a long-term solution in the middle of their offensive line to pair with Patrick Mahomes. Dropping a player of Linsley’s talent into that group not only improves the talent level but also the communication.

Vera-Tucker is an exceptional talent that also has versatility. He deserves a shot at tackle but the fallback for him at guard is still an intriguing option.

The critique: Signing Linsley will cost a pretty penny and is likely the biggest move the Chiefs make in free agency to secure his services. Of the three draft picks selected, Vera-Tucker is the least likely to be available at 31 — where the Chiefs select. Would acquiring him require a trade-up? The Chiefs would be putting a lot of eggs in the offensive line basket to secure these two.

A tweet to make you think

Follow Arrowhead Pride on Social Media

Facebook Page: Click here to like our page

AP Instagram: Follow @ArrowheadPride

AP Twitter: Follow @ArrowheadPride

AP Editor-in-Chief: Pete Sweeney: Follow @pgsween

610 Sports Twitter: Follow @610SportsKC