Chad Henne Declined Offer From Jets After Aaron Rodgers Injury

The former Chiefs backup chose to remain retired instead.

When Aaron Rodgers went down with a torn Achilles, the Jets were left to figure out how they would handle the quarterback room for the rest of the season. So far, New York has yet to add a quarterback to the team, sticking with Zach Wilson as the starter and Tim Boyle as the backup. 

However, that doesn’t mean they haven’t tried to add outside help.

According to Matthew Knaub of the Reading Eagle, the Jets called retired quarterback Chad Henne about joining the team, but Henne told them he is happy in retirement.

“I hung them up for the right reasons,” Henne told Knaub. “I didn’t want to go back and put my body into it.”

Retired quarterback Chad Henne declined an offer to join the Jets following an injury to Aaron Rodgers :: Kyle Terada/USA Today network

Henne spent the past five seasons with the Chiefs, serving as Patrick Mahomes’s backup for four years. Despite barely playing, he was key in two Kansas City playoff games since 2020, most recently against the Jaguars during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl run last season.

The Jets likely reached out to Henne due to his familiarity with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, as the pair was together in Jacksonville from 2016 to ’17.

After retiring in the offseason, Henne now serves as a volunteer assistant coach for alma mater, Wilson Senior High School in West Lawn, Pennsylvania. The longtime backup and former Michigan standout is happy with where he is during his first season in retirement.

“I think I have too much knowledge to give up and just not be around it, to just sit at home and not speak my word,” Henne said. “That’s why I got involved here. Just so much knowledge that I can give back to our kids.”