The Jaguars have agreed to terms on a two-year contract with quarterback Chad Henne, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Ryan O’Hallaron of the Florida Times-Union had reported yesterday that the club expected to lock up Henne within the next couple days.
Henne’s two-year deal is worth $8MM, including $4.5MM guaranteed, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The contract includes a $1.5MM signing bonus and a $3MM roster bonus, and features incentives that can be earned based on playing time and other criteria. You can check out the full details from Marvez on Twitter, but the upshot is that the more Henne plays – and the better he performs – the more his salary will increase in both 2014 and 2015.
Henne, 28, started 13 games for the Jaguars last season after taking over the job from Blaine Gabbert. The veteran signal-caller completed 60.6% of his attempts, compiling 3,241 passing yards and 13 touchdowns to go along with his 14 interceptions. While those numbers aren’t spectacular, the Jaguars had insisted since the regular season ended that they wanted to bring Henne back, and the team has now backed up those comments.
Although Henne will be back in Jacksonville next season, that doesn’t mean the team will simply hand him the starting job. The former second-round pick might head into 2014 as the No. 1 guy, or at least with a chance to compete for that spot, but the Jaguars are expected to select a quarterback fairly early in May’s draft. Henne’s spot on the depth chart could ultimately depend on whether Jacksonville uses its No. 3 overall pick on that signal-caller, or whether the club waits until the second or third round to draft a QB.
A league source told O’Halloran today that he doesn’t expect the Jaguars to prioritize a signal-caller in the draft after re-signing Henne (Twitter link). O’Halloran’s source figures the club won’t draft a quarterback until at least the second round, and perhaps the third or fourth.
Had Henne reached the open market, he would have drawn interest from other teams, including the Texans, tweets Garafolo. Clubs seeking a veteran quarterback will have to turn to other available options such as Michael Vick, Josh McCown, Matt Cassel, and Josh Freeman. Matt Schaub and Mark Sanchez may also hit the market, as they’re are among the signal-callers expected to become cap casualties within the next few weeks.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.