Chad Henne: The Chiefs’ Hero

2/4/2021

Amrit Sian

Chad Henne led the Chiefs to a victory in the 2021 NFL Wildcard Round against the Cleveland Browns.

Chad Henne is the unlikely postseason hero for the Kansas City Chiefs. After MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes stepped out of the wildcard game due to an injury, Henne had to step in to maintain their second-half lead against the Cleveland Browns. He was able to close out the game against the Browns 22-17 making this the first win he has had in the NFL since 2013. Henne helped the Chiefs return to the AFC Championship game for their third consecutive year.

Chad Henne was born on July 2, 1985 in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. He quickly grew to love American football and played throughout high school. He committed to playing at the University of Michigan and became the second freshman starting quarterback in Michigan history. He was able to rack up 32 wins in a regular season, 8,740 offensive yards, and 87 touchdowns. He was also able to lead his team to a Capital One Bowl victory and was subsequently named the game’s MVP after throwing for over 350 yards. Henne's professional career began when he was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 2008 NFL draft. He was eventually signed by the Chiefs in 2018 and has since been among one of the best backup quarterbacks the NFL has seen.

Chad Henne signed a two-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs on March 16, 2018 as the backup quarterback to Patrick Mahomes. He didn’t see much action early on, appearing for only one game in the 2018 season against the Oakland Raiders. Many players, however, praised Henne for his inspiration and leadership off the field. In the 2019 season, Henne did not come off of the sidelines for a single game due to an injury but did win his first championship in Super Bowl LIV after the Chiefs defeated the 49ers. Only a month after the Superbowl, Henne re-signed with the Chiefs for another two years.

This season Henne got some playtime, starting against the Los Angeles Chargers in the Chiefs’ last game of the season. This was Henne’s first start since his 2014 season with the Jaguars. On January 17, 2021 in the Chiefs divisional playoff game against the Cleveland Browns, Henne made an entrance into the game in the third quarter after Mahomes left the game with an injury. Even though Henne only threw for 66 yards and an interception, he was able to run critical time off of the clock and lead the Chiefs to a 22-17 victory. But this was not all just luck as some critics like to point out. Henne has had an extensive football career which started at a young age.

He had a good high school career, and an even better college career. Henne may not have seen a lot of action during his time in the NFL as a quarterback, but when the Chiefs needed him the most, he was able to pull through.

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She attended high school in the Wichita area where she occupied herself with debate and writing. Ms. Scott obtained her degree in secondary education (speech/ theatre) with a minor in communication studies from Kansas State University. She received her master’s degree in communication from Baylor University in 2018.

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