Even at age 36 Chad Henne has plenty of football left in him

(This story was originally posted Feb. 10; Henne accepted a new one-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs Wednesday.)

(First of two parts)

More than 100 million Americans with gather Sunday to watch the Super Bowl; Chad Henne’s not likely to be among them.

The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback isn’t in a hurry to see the Cincinnati Bengals again. Not quite yet. Not after a 27-24 overtime loss to them in the AFC Championship game. That loss, and in particular the way it went down — the Chiefs were dominating, up 21-3 and going in for another score just before the half — still stings.

“It was definitely tough to swallow, especially the first half that we had,” said the former Wilson star. “There were so many opportunities that we had . . . a lot of people have said that (we were) our own worst enemy, throughout the year.

“I felt we hurt ourselves more than anything, and that’s what hurts the most is that we put ourselves in those situations rather than another team taking over and beating us.”

Henne was looking for a third straight trip to the Super Bowl. He was Pat Mahomes’ backup in 2020 when the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20, and again last year in a 31-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Those were, no doubt, the highlights of his 14-year pro football career.

“It’s obviously a dream come true,” he said of reaching the Super Bowl. “The first year, without COVID, it was a much better experience. You get Media Day on Monday . . . you’re there for a week at the Super Bowl site . . . you get to practice, take everything in.

“We couldn’t wait to get to the game (at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami). Once you get there, you see all the fans, you see the flashing lights, the biggest stage in sports . . . it’s an amazing feeling. Definitely one to cherish and one to always remember.”

Last year? Not so much. And not just because the Chiefs lost. The Super Bowl experience was just not the same.

“COVID just took over,” Henne said. “We got there on Saturday (the night before the game). It felt like just another game, even though it was the biggest game (of the year) for us. It just didn’t have the same feeling as the first one.”

The question now is whether Henne will get a chance to play in another Super Bowl. Or another NFL game, for that matter. He’ll turn 37 before the training camps open. His two-year contract with the Chiefs expires next month.

He has played 14 seasons and is eager for a 15th.

“My body feels good,” he said. “My mind’s right. I still enjoy playing. I feel like I’d be giving myself up if I didn’t play one more year and still had it in me.”

He said he received good vibes from the Chiefs at the end of the season about a return. He would love to remain in Kansas City, which has become home for he and his wife Brittany and their children, Chace and Hunter. It has become a great fit for him — and for the Chiefs.

Kansas City has, arguably, the best quarterback in the game. It just needs someone who’s ready to come in and make some plays — as Henne did in last year’s AFC divisional playoff against the Cleveland Brown — someone who accepts the role as being No. 2 with no chance for advancement up the depth chart.

“They know what they have in me,” Henne said. “It’s an easy fit to come back and I enjoy playing here. I think it’s mutual. They definitely said they want me back, but you just never know with management, money, and where the caps fits.”

If the Chiefs can’t make it work there are surely other NFL teams who would have a similar need.

Henne said 2022 would likely be his final pro season. After that he’d like to spend more time with his children, and working with local youth players. He plans to make Berks County his full-time home again and wants to get more involved in coaching, most likely at Wilson, where he set the standard for quarterback play and set passing records that haven’t been approached over the past 20 years.

Henne was hoping for a long NFL career when he came out of Michigan in 2008. He was selected in the second round of the NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. Lasting 14 seasons in this league? That’s even better than he had hoped for. Few players get close to that.

“I’m very blessed and I’m happy that my body is still where it is, and I feel pretty confident in what I can do on the field,” he said. “My goal was to hit 12 years. That was my mindset before I got drafted. Luckily, I’ve been able to hang around.”

It hasn’t always been easy, and it hasn’t always gone the way he planned. He was a starter with the Dolphins his second season, and again in 2010. He was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2012 and was their starter for two seasons. For most of the past decade he’s been a backup. Not what he envisioned but Henne has made the most of it.

He has become a commodity, one Andy Reid and the Chiefs sought out in 2018. They knew they had a budding star in Mahomes and needed a reliable insurance policy, someone the up-and-coming star could learn from and prosper with. Henne fit the bill.

“Me understanding the offensive systems, being able to, not only be a contributor on the field physically but mentally be able to dive into game plans and help coaches out (has been a plus in my career),” Henne said. “I think it’s been a great balance of that that’s really helped me stay around.”

When he’s finished playing the signature moment he and Chiefs fans will look back on is his relief role in last year’s division playoff against the Cleveland Browns. With Mahomes out with a concussion Henne came in to preserve a five-point lead.

On a critical third-and-long he showed off his sprinter’s speed — he was part of the Bulldogs’ gold-medal winning 4×100 relay — and ran for 13 yards. On fourth-and-short he completed a pass to Tyreek Hill to keep the drive alive. The Chiefs hung on to win 22-17.

“That was one of those moments that makes you think that it’s all worth it, (that it) paid off,” Henne said. “That moment was obviously special and made me feel like I was worthwhile. There were many times in my career (where I thought): ‘Man, maybe I’m just not good enough.’

“Even though I’ve lasted this long you always have to prove yourself. That was one of those moments that I proved on a big stage and in a big game that I was able to do it.”

(Coming tomorrow: Chad Henne talks about the possibility of a post-playing career as a high school coach.)