Kansas City Chiefs: Future of backup quarterback position
By Chris Clark
CHAD HENNE
The Chiefs went full throttle with Patrick Mahomes in the 2018 offseason by trading away veteran starting quarterback Alex Smith to Washington. Other 2017 quarterbacks Nick Foles, Tyler Bray, and Joel Stave moved on to other teams as well. This left Mahomes as the only quarterback on the roster.
Kansas City quickly moved to add a veteran backup to their young, second-year man. General manager Brett Veach must have noticed something in 33-year-old Chad Henne to give him a two-year contract. The former Dolphins and Jaguars quarterback had established himself as a solid back up since being drafted in the second round of the 2008 draft by Miami.
Henne was brought to Kansas City on a two-year/$6.7M contract. Signing Henne wasn’t the most exciting move of the offseason, but it at least gave the team a veteran backup going into 2018. Thankfully, Mahomes stayed healthy through the season and Henne only had to play garbage time snaps against Oakland late in the season.
Going into 2019, Henne looks to continue as the QB2 behind Mahomes. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t competition for that number two spot, though. There are younger quarterbacks behind Henne that are certainly hungry for more snaps if needed.