The Kansas City Chiefs shifted gears at the quarterback position this offseason, moving on from Pro Bowl quarterback Alex Smith by trading him to the Washingon Redskins. This has effectively handed the reins of the starting job to the second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
However, the team had not addressed who would be his backup, as there were no other options at the position on the roster. According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the Chiefs have found a solution to that area of need by signing former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Chad Henne to a two-year deal.
Chiefs are signing QB Chad Henne to a two-year deal, source says. He'll back up and mentor Patrick Mahomes.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 16, 2018
Over the last three years, Henne has served as the primary backup to Blake Bortles with the Jaguars. The 32-year-old was rarely used in 2017, making appearances in a pair of games where he failed complete both of his pass attempts.
Beyond that, Henne can offer plenty of knowledge and first-hand experience as a starter, a role he held with the Miami Dolphins over his first four seasons. During that span, he compiled a 13-18 record, completing 60.7 percent of his passes for 7,114 yards, 31 touchdown passes, 37 interceptions, and a 75.7 quarterback rating.
He did get a second chance to start in the first two years of his six-year tenure with the Jaguars, making 19 starts for a disappointing 5-14 record. Henne can use this experience to help mentor Mahomes to hopefully avoid the same pitfalls.
The Chiefs are completely onboard with Mahomes as their long-term solution at the quarterback position. The team has surrounded him with offensive weapons this offseason, including the addition of wide receiver Sammy Watkins on a three-year, $48 million deal.
Kansas City will likely continue to look to build the roster around Mahomes over the coming months.
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