Getty Former Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Chad Henne during the 2022-23 playoffs.
The season-ending injury to Aaron Rodgers is dominating the NFL news cycle on September 12 and one New York Jets report involved a recent Kansas City Chiefs champion.
“Sources: The Jets have inquired about former Chiefs QB Chad Henne, who retired after last season’s Super Bowl victory,” relayed NFL insider Jordan Schultz. “Following Aaron Rodgers’ Achilles tear, GM Joe Douglas is doing his due diligence on veteran QBs to backup Zach Wilson.”
Schultz added that “Henne knows Nathaniel Hackett dating back to their days together with the [Jacksonville] Jaguars.”
Chad Henne Was ‘At Peace’ With Retirement After Chiefs Super Bowl Run
The Jets may have called about Henne, but it’s unlikely that the 38-year-old signal-caller entertained their offer to return — unless he had a significant change of heart.
“Going into [the 2022 season], I think in the beginning, I definitely knew that it could be my last year,” Henne told Sports Illustrated NFL insider Albert Breer after winning the Super Bowl in February.
“Going throughout the season, obviously, the success that we had, I just felt like it was time,” he continued on. “My goal was to hit 12 [seasons], and I pushed past that, three more years, and I just was at peace with it this year. Obviously to cap it off with the win made it a lot easier to say, All right, I’m gonna hang it up.”
Henne did admit that helping the Chiefs eliminate the Jaguars after the Patrick Mahomes injury in the Divisional Round reinvigorated him a bit, but not enough to strap the pads back on in 2023.
“Sometimes it’s harder [when you have success], because then you’re like, Man, I can still do it,” Henne acknowledged with Breer. “It’s one of those moments I’ll always remember, it’s a memory, it was good to get in that game and help our team win, and you never know when that opportunity is gonna arise again, especially winning a Super Bowl. I felt like that was just the nightcap—go out with a bang.”
Some might argue that the Jets have a roster worthy of a Super Bowl run in 2023, but they’re down a starting quarterback. 2021 No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson led New York to victory over the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 — which is no easy feat — but many doubt the youngster long-term.
One thing’s for sure, Henne would certainly help his confidence. The former pro athlete expressed an interest in “training” quarterbacks after his playing career, and Mahomes has always spoken very highly of his long-time backup QB.
The second-string role is “about somebody else, rather than yourself,” Henne explained to Breer. Right now, his focus is on his family and his career after the NFL.
Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes Will Not Face Aaron Rodgers in 2023
The curse of Mahomes versus Rodgers continues on in 2023, as the inaugural matchup between the two legendary quarterbacks will once again be postponed — if it ever does occur.
“For the third time, a potential Aaron Rodgers-Patrick Mahomes matchup will not happen,” The 33rd Team NFL insider Ari Meirov noted on September 12. Below, he listed the reasons that each face-off didn’t come to pass.
- 2019: Mahomes’ knee injury.
- 2020: Rodgers’ COVID.
- 2023: Rodgers’ Achilles injury.
As most of us would agree, Meirov concluded that the Rodgers injury is “just so disappointing in every aspect.”
Instead, Mahomes and the Chiefs will likely get Wilson and the Jets — assuming both are healthy and he’s still the starter in Week 4. It would be the first matchup between the two former first-round selections.