Getty Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Chad Henne.
Kansas City Chiefs backup quarterback Chad Henne capped off the team’s Super Bowl LVII win over the Philadelphia Eagles with an abrupt career announcement.
“Calling it a career,” Henne, 37, wrote in an Instagram post shortly after the game. “Capping it off with a #budlight and another ring.”
#Chiefs backup QB Chad Henne announces via his Instagram that he is retiring. #ChiefsKingdom
Henne, a former second-round pick of the Miami Dolphins in 2008, ended his 15-year NFL career with a second Super Bowl ring.
Though he was Patrick Mahomes’s backup during his five seasons in Kansas City, a case can be made Henne was still one of the most valuable players on the Chiefs’ roster during that timeframe.
Henne was able to enter the lineup for the Chiefs in pivotal moments when Mahomes was unavailable and exceeded expectations in many of those moments. The most recent case of this was in the Divisional Round of the playoffs when Mahomes first suffered his high ankle sprain against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Henne led a 12-play, 98-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown on the first offensive drive Mahomes missed following his injury.
QB Chad Henne throws a TD to Travis Kelce on his first drive (98 yards) following Mahomes’s injury. PAT us good.
Henne finishes his career having thrown for 13,290 yards with a 60-63 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 78 regular season games, according to Pro Football Reference. In two playoff games (both with the Chiefs), Henne completed 73.3% of his passes for 89 yards, 1 passing touchdown, and also threw 1 interception.
Twitter Reacts to Henne’s Announcement
Twitter users reacted to Henne announcing his retirement after Super Bowl LVII.
“Thank you, Chad Henne! You came in clutch for the Chiefs many times when we needed you. Chiefs Kingdom will always have a special place for you!”
@MySportsUpdate Thank you, Chad Henne! You came in clutch for the Chiefs many times when we needed you. Chiefs Kingdom will always have a special place for you!
“A good quarterback at heart, glad to see him get another ring,” another user wrote. “Gonna miss him. May his time in the NFL grant him a good retirement.”
@MySportsUpdate A good quarterback at heart, glad to see him get another ring.
Gonna miss him.
May his time in the NFL grant him a good retirement.👍
“Mr Henne, it was an honor to have you as our number 2,” another user wrote. “You came in clutch for us so many times! Love that you are retiring as a chief and 2x SB winner!!”
@RapSheet Mr Henne, it was an honor to have you as our number 2. You came in clutch for us so many times! Love that you are retiring as a chief and 2x SB winner!!
“For real though KC may not have two rings without this man stepping up the way he did against the Browns and then Jacksonville. Thank you #4,” another user wrote.
@RapSheet For real though KC may not have two rings without this man stepping up the way he did against the Browns and then Jacksonville. Thank you #4 #HenneThingIsPossible
Chiefs Defeat Eagles 38-35 in SBLVII
The Chiefs defeated the Eagles 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII, marking the organization’s second Super Bowl title in four seasons.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was named the Super Bowl LVII MVP. He completed 21-of-27 pass attempts for 182 passing yards and 3 touchdowns in the Super Bowl. He also ran the football 6 times for 44 yards.
Mahomes protected the football and used his legs — despite dealing with a high-ankle sprain — in key moments to make big plays. Take his 26-yard run late in the fourth quarter for example, which set the Chiefs up for a field goal to take a 38-35 lead with eight seconds remaining in the game.
#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, high-ankle sprain and all, drops back, tucks the football, and picks up 26 yards with his legs. #ChiefsKingdom #SBLVII
The leading receiver for Kansas City was tight end Travis Kelce, who caught 6 passes on 6 targets for 81 yards and scored the Chiefs’ first touchdown of the evening. Rookie running back Isiah Pacheco led the way in the backfield, carrying the ball 15 times for 76 yards and 1 touchdown.
Patrick Mahomes connects with TE Travis Kelce for an 18-yard TD. PAT is good.
The Chiefs’ defense struggled to contain Philadelphia’s high-flying offense for most of the game. But the unit did make key plays throughout the game to help squeeze out the victory for Kansas City.
Take for example when Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts fumbled the football early in the second quarter and Kansas City linebacker Nick Bolton recovered the football and scored a touchdown.
QB Jalen Hurts fumbles the football, & LB Nick Bolton scoops & scores! PAT is good.
Special teams also made key plays for the Chiefs, like Harrison Butker kicking the game-winning field goal, and Kadarius Toney setting that kick up with a 65-yard punt return, which is a Super Bowl record.
#Chiefs WR Kadarius Toney takes the punt return for a Super Bowl record 65 yards to set the Chiefs offense up deep inside the #Eagles red zone! #ChiefsKingdom #SBLVII