Even in retirement Chad Henne finds himself behind Patrick Mahomes
2023 Berks football coverage presented by
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Months after retiring from pro football Chad Henne still finds himself backing up Patrick Mahomes.
This time it’s in a nationally televised commercial for Subway.
For four years before that he backed up Mahomes as a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs; the former Wilson star was so successful at it he brought home two Super Bowls rings when he returned to Berks County earlier this year.
Like most backup quarterbacks Henne didn’t draw much attention during his years with the Chiefs, especially playing in the shadow of the NFL’s best, Mahomes. Backup QBs aren’t usually in high demand when it comes to endorsement deals.
Ironically, Henne’s first national television commercial came after he left the game.
“He’s done better off the field since he’s retired,” joked Chris Longo, a marketing agent with Athletes First who helped broker the TV spot.
Longo and the marketing staff at Athletes First, which represents Henne, thought they could piggyback on Mahomes’ incredible national recognition and marketability. They pitched the idea of using Henne as again backing up Mahomes and that’s exactly what you see in the commercials.
In one, on a set built to look like a Subway restaurant, Henne literally pops out from behind Mahomes, who says incredulously: “Have you been behind me the whole time?”
“Yep,” responds Henne with a grin.
And it’s true: Henne was there behind Mahomes the whole way and twice stepped up in the playoffs to keep the Chiefs’ Super Bowl hopes alive.
The first time came in 2020 when Henne entered late in the third quarter after Mahomes went out with an injury with the Chiefs leading 19-10. Henne finished the divisional round game and made an incredible run out of the pocket on third-and-14, gaining 13 yards. He completed a fourth-down pass, then helped the Chiefs run out the clock for a 22-17 victory.
He did it again last season in the divisional round against Jacksonville. Mahomes left the game with an ankle injury. Henne took over with the Chiefs at their own 2. Six minutes later he completed the longest drive in Chiefs playoff history with a 1-yard TD toss to Travis Kelce.
Just as they did in 2020 the Chiefs went on to win the Super.
Longo said that clutch appearance against the Jags helped elevate Henne’s profile and made him more palatable to Subway’s marketing people.
Henne was offered the job and he flew to Dallas – where Mahomes lives in the offseason — in April to shoot the commercial. Both commercials were filmed at the Cotton Bowl. In one of the two commercials currently airing Henne is sitting on the bench, behind Mahomes.
Several other notable pro athletes appear in the spot: Warriors basketball star Steph Curry, Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, Celtics basketball star Jayson Tatum and tennis great Rafael Nadal.
“How did I get in this?” Henne jokes.
It happened because Henne’s marketing people struck while the iron was hot, so to speak, right after the Super Bowl. And because Henne was willing to play a backup role – just as he did for much of his 14-year professional career.
“It’s easier when someone has a personality like Chad’s,” said Longo. “Being a backup he’s never really gotten to showcase (his sense of humor). He’s willing to poke fun at himself. He’s just a normal dude, like any of us.”
Henne didn’t get to work with Curry, Manning or Nadal; they filmed their segments elsewhere. Herbert filmed his segment at the Cotton Bowl but was gone by the time Henne arrived on the set.
Henne’s part took several hours.
“It was fun,” Henne said of the shoot. “There was a lot of waiting around. You don’t realize what goes into all those sets; there’s a lot of working parts. I tried to be the best I could be for them so we didn’t have to re-take it 65 times.
“I felt bad for Patrick. They’re trying to mix in “Pro-ferred” and ‘preferred.’ He was constantly screwing it up. I’m glad I only had one major line: ‘And preferred by your old backup QB.’ ”
The commercials began airing in June but the exposure has been constant in recent weeks, since the start of the NFL season. You can’t watch a game on TV for more than five minutes without seeing Mahomes’ face pop up in ad for State Farm, Subway or some other national brand. He reportedly makes $20 to $40 million per year in endorsements.
Get used to it: Those Subway spots could be running all season.
People have noticed. Henne says everywhere he goes people bring it up.
“I was just happy to be a part of that,” he said. “It was just a cool experience to be with all those people.”
Henne, who played at Michigan, has another deal in the works, with Dr. Pepper, a major sponsor of college football with ABC. Those have not been recorded yet; they’re not expected to be national spots.
While he’s waiting for Hollywood to call again, the former Bulldogs quarterback will continue spending time as a volunteer assistant coach at his alma mater. Berks’ all-time passing leader works with the quarterbacks, receivers, and tight ends in the passing game, and with offensive coordinator Jeremy Palm.
“Everyone’s very receptive,” Henne said. “Just being around the kids has been such a joy.”
Coincidence or not the Bulldogs’ passing game has ticked upward this season. Senior Tommy Hunsicker has thrown for 909 yards, fourth-most in the Lancaster-Lebanon League, with nine touchdowns and one interception over four games. As a junior he threw for 1,065 yards, 11 TDs and nine interceptions in 11 games.
“The last couple weeks you’ve seen him use the running backs as checkdowns a lot more rather than running around (in the pocked),” Henne said. “I’ve told him if you use the checkdowns you eliminate the hits on your body.
“The big thing (for him) is just being consistent with his footwork, keeping his shoulders more downfield rather than horizontal (so that he doesn’t) lose power on (his) throws.
“He’s such a good kid and willing to work and he’s such a good leader for this team. I’m really excited to see where he goes and how he finishes the rest of the year out.”
