The folks at CBS Sports released their annual list that ranks the best and worst backup quarterbacks in the NFL on Wednesday. This year, Kansas City Chiefs backup Chad Henne made it to the top half of the list following an impressive performance late in the regular season and against the Cleveland Browns during last season’s divisional round in the postseason.
CBS’s Cody Benjamin writes:
“14. Chad Henne – Approaching 36, Henne benefits a bit from playing for Kansas City, which boasts enough talent to assist any serviceable QB. Picks were a steady issue early in his career, but he’s now had three years to study under Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.”
Henne was acquired by the Chiefs in 2018 to be the veteran tasked with the duty to help Patrick Mahomes adjust to life as a starting NFL quarterback. In 2020 however, he had a chance to lead the offense. In Week 17 against the L.A.Chargers, Kansas City already had the AFC West and first-round bye locked which afforded Andy Reid to bench his starters and give his backups a chance to see the field.
That meant Henne got to be the one leading the offense.
Although the Chiefs lost to Bolts, 38-21, Henne played well, completing 71.8-percent of his passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns. Henne was unexpectedly thrown into the fray the following week during a tight divisional match against the Cleveland Browns.
While Patrick Mahomes was sidelined for what was thought to be a concussion late in the third quarter, Henne was forced to finish the rest of the game, where he played well enough to keep the Chiefs ahead of the Browns on the scoreboard and made arguably the most clutch throw of his career.
Late in the fourth, Andy Reid was faced with a critical decision on fourth-and-one with 1:14 left in the game and being up by five points. Rather than take the safe approach and punt the ball to a hot Cleveland offense, the Chiefs decided to roll the dice and keep the offense on the field and try for the first down that would run the clock out.
The result would turn into a brilliant decision as Henne made the connection with Tyreek Hill for a five-yard completion and the first down.
Entering 2021, Henne is in the final year of his contract which means the Chiefs might be in the market for a quarterback to sit behind Patrick Mahomes. That is if Henne isn’t brought back onto the roster at the end of the season.
Nonetheless, the Chiefs could definitely do worse at quarterback depth and Henne has absolutely been a good asset to have behind Patrick Mahomes.
The complete list of backup QBs can be found here.
