Ranking every Kansas City Chiefs starting quarterback since 1990
By Matt Conner
11. Chad Henne (2020)
This is such a feel-good entry.
Chad Henne is not in any way, shape, or form a hero for any NFL team in the normal sense of the word, but ask anyone in the Chiefs Kingdom what they think of Chad Henne, and you’ll likely get the sort of inflection and energy saved for some of the most beloved players in a team’s history. That’s what it’s like to root for the Chiefs in this golden era.
Henne came to Kansas City with one of the most important backup quarterback roles ever: to shepherd the first few years of Mahomes' career. While Alex Smith is respected for how he handed over the torch, Henne has also earned loads of credibility for his presence behind and beside Mahomes as the veteran voice and occasional sub when Mahomes went down with minor injuries.
No one will ever forget "Henne’s drive" from this last postseason, and it was indicative of the way that the veteran quarterback would often perform for the Chiefs in relief of Mahomes. No one was ever going to mistake him for the starter, but Henne would always do just enough to move the chains, score the points, and stretch out the time of possession. In the process, Henne will always receive a hero’s welcome pretty much anywhere in K.C., even if he was never the biggest hero on the field.