Ranking KC Chiefs backup quarterback options from worst to best
By Matt Conner
What should the Kansas City Chiefs do about backup quarterback now that Chad Henne has retired?
That the Kansas City Chiefs don’t exactly have a normal situation at quarterback is not lost on anyone. Patrick Mahomes is a singular talent, a priceless treasure, a player without equal who has dominated a league filled with elite athletes as a twenty-something marching through NFL records like Moses across the Red Sea.
Even beyond Mahomes-as-starter, however, the Chiefs’ quarterback situation is a rare one and it presents quite the thought exercise as to how to move forward.
On the one hand, the Chiefs just watched Chad Henne retire from the game after several seasons holding the clipboard behind Mahomes. On more than one occasion, in that span of time, Henne was called upon to keep the Chiefs’ offense moving, and his skill set and experience were an ideal fit for Kansas City. Does that mean the Chiefs need another qualified veteran backup in the wake of Henne’s exit?
On the other hand, Henne was brought on board as an older signal caller because Mahomes was so young. Henne was a player and mentor figure, someone who could help interpret what the coaching staff was asking Mahomes to do on the field. But Mahomes has won two Super Bowl MVP awards since then, and his days of needing an older brother in the quarterbacks room are likely over.
Can the Chiefs afford to go young behind Mahomes at this stage? Do they need to find the next Henne? Are the backup quarterback options in-house already or should the Chiefs go shopping sometime this offseason?
Let’s rank the Chiefs’ options at this stage from worst to first.