Chad Steven Henne, born on July 2, 1985, is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Known for his strong arm and poise in the pocket, Henne has left a significant mark on the sport.
Chad Henne with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2014
Early Life and High School Career
Henne moved into the Wilson School District prior to the start of his third grade year in 1994. His football journey began at Wilson High School in West Lawn, Pennsylvania, where he played in 43 scholastic games for the Bulldogs (42 starts) over four seasons, earning a record of 33-10.
His Wilson football teams won two Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 titles, the first his freshman year (2000) and the second his junior season (2002). In 2000, his freshman season, Henne played QB in all 11 games and 10 starts, rotating with junior Ian Firestone in the Week 1 win vs Harrisburg.Henne's third scholastic year was his most successful, both individually and as a team. His 2002 Wilson Bulldogs squad finished their regular season undefeated with a record of 10-0 and were the 2002 PIAA District 3 AAAA runner-up, falling to Central Dauphin in a thrilling championship game.
He amassed 7,071 passing yards in his high school career, which was fourth-most all-time (45th as of 2024) in PIAA history (and first in PIAA District 3) at the conclusion of Henne's senior season in the fall of 2003, behind John Veach, Evan Kraky, and Ron Powlus. Henne holds three significant Wilson football program records (as of February 2020): career passing yardage (7,071); career passing touchdowns (74), and most touchdown passes in a game (5; tied).
Read also: Chad Henne, Patrick Mahomes, and Subway
He was named to the Pennsylvania All-State Football Team as a senior in 2003, selected to participate in the 47th Annual Big 33 Football Classic in July 2004, was named the Pennsylvania Football Gatorade Player of the Year for 2003-2004, and earned national recognition as a member of the 2003-2004 Parade High School All-American Football Team. In October 2014, Henne was inducted into the Wilson High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
In addition to his football accomplishments, Henne was also a member of the Wilson varsity basketball team for three years as well as an outstanding athlete for the Bulldogs track and field team, finishing as the PIAA runner-up in the javelin as a senior after finishing first at the District 3 meet two weeks earlier.
College Career at Michigan Wolverines
Before his first game as a senior, Henne announced his plans to become a Wolverine at the University of Michigan. In 2004, Henne entered the season as a freshman for the Wolverines, and third on the depth chart behind redshirt sophomore Matt Gutierrez and redshirt freshman quarterback Clayton Richard.
The Monday prior to the season opener against the Miami RedHawks, Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr announced Gutierrez would start even though he was suffering from a sore shoulder. Alongside freshman running back Mike Hart, he galvanized an explosive offensive unit that featured receivers Braylon Edwards, Jason Avant, and Steve Breaston. All five would later go on to the NFL.
As a junior in 2006, Henne earned Rivals.com All-American third-team honors. He was a Manning Award finalist, Maxwell Award semifinalist, Davey O'Brien Award semifinalist, and Walter Camp Award candidate. The All-Big Ten Conference second-team choice started all thirteen games.
Read also: Henne's Quarterback Training
During his senior year in 2007, Henne completed 162 of 278 passes for 1,938 yards, 17 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. The first game of the season ended in disaster for Michigan, a loss to Appalachian State that was considered one of the biggest sports upsets of all time. In the following game Henne suffered a knee injury in the first half against Oregon, and sat out the second half, as well as subsequent games against Notre Dame and Penn State, before returning to the starting lineup against Northwestern.
In the final regular season game, Michigan fell to Ohio State 14-3, completing an 0-4 career record for Henne and fellow seniors Mike Hart and Jake Long against the Buckeyes. Henne played his final collegiate game against Florida in the Capital One Bowl.
For his collegiate career, Henne completed 828 of 1,387 passes for 9,715 yards, 87 touchdowns, and 37 interceptions. All five marks are school records.
College Statistics
Here's a summary of Chad Henne's college statistics:
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Completions | 828 |
| Pass Attempts | 1,387 |
| Passing Yards | 9,715 |
| Touchdowns | 87 |
| Interceptions | 37 |
NFL Career
Chad Henne replaces Patrick Mahomes and leads a 98-yard drive! | 2023 Divisional Round
Henne was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the second round (57th overall) of the 2008 NFL draft. He was the fourth quarterback chosen, following Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, and Brian Brohm. Henne agreed to a four-year, $3.5 million contract with the team on July 26. Out of training camp, Henne earned the backup quarterback role behind starter Chad Pennington.
Read also: Chad Henne Playoff Stats
During the third game of the 2009 season, San Diego linebacker Kevin Burnett knocked Chad Pennington out of the game with a season-ending injury. Henne came off the bench in relief and made his first career start on October 4, 2009, against the Buffalo Bills at home. Henne went 14-of-22 with one touchdown in a 38-10 victory, lifting the team to a 1-3 record.
In his second NFL start, he led the underdog Dolphins to a 31-27 win over the New York Jets in a Monday Night Football game. He completed 20 out of 26 passes for 241 yards with two touchdowns.
On November 10, 2010, after a 4-4 start to the 2010 season, Henne lost his starting job to Pennington. On November 14, during the game against the Tennessee Titans, Henne came in relief for Pennington who went out with an apparent shoulder injury. During the third quarter, Henne himself was injured with an apparent knee injury and was replaced by Tyler Thigpen.
Henne returned to action in Week 12 against the Oakland Raiders winning 33-17. In Week 13, Henne went back to his inconsistencies. He completed 16 of 32 passes and throwing 3 picks in a loss to the Browns. The following week, he went 5-of-18 for 53 yards and one touchdown in a 10-6 win against the New York Jets on an extremely rainy day.
In Week 15, he faced the Buffalo Bills going 33-of-45 for 176 yards with one touchdown and one interception. This came in a loss, which officially eliminated Miami from the playoffs. In Week 16, Henne faced the Detroit Lions and finished with a loss. Henne went 29 of 44 for 278 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
Henne's 2011 starting campaign began well, throwing for 416 yards and a professional career-best passer rating of 93.6. These improvements were overshadowed by Tom Brady's 517 pass yards and the resulting loss to the New England Patriots. It was the seventh game of all time to have two quarterbacks surpass 400 yards passing.
On Sunday October 2, 2011, in a game against the San Diego Chargers, Henne hurt his left shoulder at the end of a run on a broken play on the Dolphins' second possession and did not return. His injury was later revealed to be a dislocated shoulder in his left (non-throwing) arm. Slated to undergo surgery, Henne was placed on injured reserve and missed the remainder of the 2011 season.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Henne signed a two-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars on March 14, 2012. In the Jaguars Week 11 game against the Texans, Henne came in for an injured Blaine Gabbert and threw for 354 yards and 4 touchdowns. Henne and Steve Young are the only two players in NFL history since the merger to not start the beginning of a game and throw 4 touchdowns without an interception. He started the final six games of the season for the team after an injury to Gabbert.
After Gabbert was benched midway through the 2013 season, Henne became the starter for the rest of the season, starting a total of thirteen games. On March 7, 2014, Henne signed a two-year, $8 million extension for $4.5 million guaranteed with the Jaguars.
Following a disappointing first half in the 2014 home opener in Week 3, Henne was benched in favor of rookie first-round draft pick Blake Bortles. Bortles remained the starter for the rest of the season, leaving Henne as the backup. In 2015, Henne remained the backup for Bortles. He did not see any action in the 2015 season. Henne signed another two-year, $8 million contract extension on February 18, 2016, to remain as the backup to Bortles.
Kansas City Chiefs
Henne re-signed with the Chiefs on a two-year contract on March 19, 2020. In Week 7 against the Denver Broncos, he came into the game in relief of Mahomes and scored a rushing touchdown in the 43-16 victory, his first rushing TD since December 2, 2012, against the Bills.
On December 30, with the Chiefs locking up the number 1 seed, head coach Andy Reid announced that Henne would start the Chiefs' season finale against the Los Angeles Chargers, resting their starters. It would be Henne's first start since Week 3 of the 2014 season with the Jaguars, which saw him throw for 218 yards and two touchdowns in the 21-38 loss.
On January 17, 2021, in the Divisional Round against the Cleveland Browns, Henne came into the game in relief of Mahomes halfway through the third quarter after the latter left the game with a concussion. Through the rest of the game, Henne threw 6 receptions for only 66 yards and an interception. However, he ran 13 yards on third-down-and-14 with two minutes left in the game, which ran critical time off the clock and left the Chiefs at fourth-and-one.
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