The Chiefs’ postseason was off to a near disastrous start.
Late in the first quarter, star quarterback Patrick Mahomes appeared to injure his ankle after throwing a pass. Jaguars outside linebacker Arden Key fell on Mahomes’ lower-leg area from behind and crunched the QB’s right ankle with 2:30 remaining in the frame.
Mahomes exited for one possession as backup Chad Henne took over, but he eventually returned for Kansas City’s first drive of the second half and finished the game. Kansas City went on to win the game 27-20 to advance the AFC Championship game.
After the play where Mahomes was injured, Kansas City called a timeout. Two handoffs to Jerick McKinnon followed. Three pass attempts later, after the first quarter ended and flipped to the second, the Chiefs kicked a field goal.
Mahomes had hobbled over to the sideline and had his ankle taped in between the first and second quarter, but he remained in the game. He later went to the locker room — slamming his coat on the ground before leaving the sideline — and Henne entered for the team’s next possession.
Mahomes returned to the sideline with a heavier layer of tape, according to NBC sideline reporter Melissa Stark on the broadcast. He was initially listed as questionable to return.
Henne, a 37-year-old who has played with the Chiefs since 2018, led Kansas City to a touchdown on his first possession after throwing a near-interception. He completed 5-of-7 passes for 23 yards and connected with Travis Kelce on a short touchdown to cap the drive.
Henne was a second-round pick in the 2008 draft, joining the Dolphins and starting 31 games across four seasons. He then spent five years with the Jaguars before signing with Kansas City as Mahomes’ backup.
This isn’t the first time Henne has entered in a key playoff moment for the Chiefs. Two years ago, Henne appeared in the AFC divisional-round game against Cleveland — entering after Mahomes was ruled out for a concussion — and completed a key fourth-and-inches pass to Tyreek Hill that clinched the game. His 13-yard scramble on the previous play set up the conversion.
In the 2022 regular season, Henne played in three games and didn’t complete a pass in two attempts.
Behind two touchdowns and a field goal, the Chiefs lead the Jaguars, 17-10, at halftime of their AFC divisional-round matchup.