PHOENIX — The Kansas City Chiefs are within the Super Bowl once more, and have a secret weapon that’s been an enormous assist to their soccer operation over the previous few years. Not Patrick Mahomes, not the offensive wizardry of Andy Reid, not even their stalwart defensive deal with Chris Jones. The Chiefs have a lot star energy round them that the NFL has allowed them to hold one thing that each NFL crew needs they’d.
That’s proper: Chad Henne, the 15-year veteran backup quarterback that’s the true engine behind the Chiefs’ sustained run of success.
Of course that’s facetious, however it’s attention-grabbing that the Chiefs have needed to depend on their quarterback depth in a number of postseason runs on account of accidents to Mahomes. Henne held the fort down in 2020 by steering the Chiefs to a divisional spherical victory over the Cleveland Browns and was underneath middle for the Chiefs once they marched 98 yards down the sphere towards the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier this postseason.
The Chiefs would in all probability choose their backup quarterback by no means should play, however that hasn’t all the time been the case for them. It helps to have a stable buffer like Henne simply to be ready for the worst — and there’s nothing worse than shedding Mahomes for even a second of recreation time.
The Chiefs are pleased with Chad Henne’s influence on Patrick Mahomes — and his performances within the playoffs on brief discover. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Matt Nagy, the previous Chicago Bears head coach who returned to the Chiefs as a senior assistant and quarterbacks coach this season, stated that having somebody like Henne within the constructing has helped their preparation on a complete — and he’s been in a position to have a optimistic influence on Mahomes as he’s grown on this quarterback room all through the years.
“He’s very, very routine,” Nagy stated. “Monday he is available in, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. It’s the identical to the minute, every single day, the whole week and it’s actually simply particular to see.”
Henne might not be the supernova expertise that Mahomes is, however there’s all the time one thing that older gamers can push upon their friends with reference to being a greater, extra productive participant.
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“It wasn’t like that in 2017,” Nagy stated about Mahomes’ habits his rookie season. “He type of realized that as he grew. We’ve obtained an incredible quarterback room. Chad Henne has been phenomenal for him as a vet. A man that’s 36 or 37, he’s been by way of it as a starter, he’s been by way of loads.”
What’s attention-grabbing about this association is that Henne himself doesn’t have loads of on-field playoff expertise. Outside of his appearances towards the Browns and the Jaguars, Henne hasn’t performed in a playoff recreation over his whole profession. Those are moments that Henne has grown to understand over time simply because it’s uncommon to have the chance to play in these video games.
“It’s been [moments] to recollect,” Henne stated. “Going again from my Miami days to my Jacksonville days and the adversity I confronted. And then these two huge moments later in my profession, it simply reveals you all of the preparation that I’ve put in all through the years.”
Henne being an lively participant with out taking part in loads has benefitted the Chiefs as a complete. The margins won’t present it, however the Chiefs do appear to rely loads on their backup quarterback to assist them be the most effective model of themselves — and to remain prepared within the few occasions that his quantity known as.
