He was asked a general question about whether young quarterbacks should start or get pushed aside. Bieniemy wisely did not force Sam Howell or any other quarterback into a stereotypical mold. Rather, he appealed to the reality that every situation will be different.
“I think every situation is different. So, I think you can only base it upon the circumstances that you’re dealing with. This situation happens to be a different one than other organizations.”
Bieniemy has been in the business of working on NFL staffs for 16 seasons. So he didn’t answer simplistically, as if all his situations with quarterbacks have been the same.
“I can tell you from my previous experience (Kansas City) when we had Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes. Pat had an opportunity to learn, and more than anything, I think one of the biggest values that a young guy can do is to see a veteran player come in every single day and watch how he works. I think more than anything, that’s probably the biggest life lesson of all of this.”
Indeed Mahomes, in his rookie 2017 season, sat behind Smith each week, learning, observing. On the season’s last week, Mahomes was given the ball. The former Texas Tech quarterback completed 22 of his 35 passes for 284 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in a 27-24 win over the Denver Broncos.
Bieniemy felt that one year was important for Mahomes in how he would start his NFL career. Rather than being thrown out there, he was able to learn from a real professional like Smith, interact with Smith, and be ready to jump in his second season with a very profitable rookie learning season.
So too, Bieniemy believes Sam Howell has benefited from this year of being with a veteran like Jacoby Brissett. Though Howell has been thrown out there into a season that was sort of a baptism by fire, Howell has spoken of Brissett always having Howell’s back.
“On top of that, watching him work and then making sure that he’s doing all the groundwork necessary to help him to develop that skill set, that work ethic, and that behavior so he can have the temperament moving forward to become the franchise quarterback that you would like to become.”
Indeed each situation is different, and for Howell, it has been a roller coaster experience in 2023. He hopes he can conclude the season on an upswing Sunday against the Cowboys at FedEx Field.
