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Eric Bieniemy had no interest in discussing USC job on Thursday

Despite being connected to the college job this week, the Chiefs offensive coordinator was only interested in discussing the Baltimore Ravens.

NFL: Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier this week, ESPN insider Adam Schefter connected current Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy to the vacant USC head coaching position.

So Bieniemy was asked about the matter when he met reporters for his weekly press conference — this one ahead of the team’s Sunday Night Football game against the Baltimore Ravens.

“You know me. You guys know me,” said Bieniemy. “I am where my feet are. So when it’s all said and done with, I am focused on the task at hand. I’m not worried about anything where my name is being mentioned. My job right now is to make sure that we’re preparing for this weekend’s opponent.”

And if the university reached out this week?

“I think you guys know me better than that, so if USC reached out to me right now, my answer would be, ‘I am preparing for this team to play against the Baltimore Ravens,’ and that’s how I roll. You guys know that.”

So ultimately, what will his decision be?

“I am where my feet are,” said Bieniemy. “My job is to make sure that we’re ready to play a complete, sound, 60-minute football game, where we can come out and win the game.”

Bieniemy has been the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator since 2018, when quarterback Patrick Mahomes took over as the starter. He has drawn coaching interest in each offseason since then, but has been unable to land a position in the NFL.

That left reporters wondering if he would be open to taking a college job with the hopes of one day landing back in the league.

But still... no dice from Bieniemy.

“That’s a great question — and I’ll say this: not to disrespect... anyone in here,” started Bieniemy. “You guys know I’m a focused, driven individual. That’s a question that I can answer when the season’s over. At this particular moment, my job is to make sure that we’re ready to go. And when it’s all said and done with, that stuff will take care of itself. I got a bunch of guys here who are counting on me — always talk to our players about the importance of being accountable to one another. How can you be accountable to someone if you allow distractions to seep in? This is not what we’re about here. This is why we’ve had the success that we’ve had here, because we find ways to eliminate the distractions and focus on the task at hand.

“[Thursday] is our third-down day, so it’s situational football day. That’s the task that I’m focused on, and I need to make sure that we come away with a good practice, so we can give ourselves a chance to have a chance on Sunday to go out and play.”

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