Chad Henne had led his first NFL drive in two years to the 1-yard line on an afternoon in Denver earlier this season, when the seconddown play call echoed into his helmet.

A read-option.

And here’s where we should inform you that Henne’s 11-year NFL career had included 356 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. He’s not known for his mobility.

“When that play came, I was like, ‘Are you serious right now? We’re going to run some zone read here?’” Henne quipped.

He made the most of it, faking a handoff to running back DeAndre Washington before scampering to his left and into the end zone for a touchdown. It marked the final score in a 43-16 win. A very Chiefs-like play.

Which is the point here. Henne will start the Chiefs’ regular season finale Sunday against the Chargers, coach Andy Reid publicized Wednesday. With the No. 1 seed locked up, Patrick Mahomes will revert to a spectator.

From the sideline, he’ll be watching a similar style of offense to the one from which he’s taking a week off. The playbook Sunday might not include Ferrari Right, with Henne running in motion before the snap, but there won’t be a complete overhaul. The Chiefs are going to treat this like a real game ... because it is a real game.

Even if the star quarterback is sitting.

“There’s definitely some different nuances, but for the most part, it’s just what we’ve been running all year,” Henne said. “I have to be prepared if Patrick were to go down in a game and be able to run the offense. Coach Reid’s not going to change anything in a game. So we kind of kept a very similar offense for what we’re going to prepare for the Chargers and go out there and execute.”

On a personal level, there’s some excitement inside the Chiefs facility for Henne, who lost his backup job last season after a preseason injury. He re-signed with the Chiefs in the offseason to reclaim that role. And finally, six years after his last start, he’s offered another.

It will be Henne’s first time leading an offense since 2014 in Jacksonville, a game in which he was ultimately removed for rookie Blake Bortles.

In his career, Henne is 18-35 with 58 touchdowns and 63 interceptions, forming a quarterback rating of 75.6. Now 35, he isn’t exactly Patrick Mahomes. Not in terms of mobility, athleticism, arm angles, and well you get the point. So adjust your expectations appropriately.

On the other hand, he did receive this advice from Reid:

“Act like you’re 20, man,” Reid said he told him. “Try to remember those days. And feel it.”

To which Henne responded Wednesday, “It’s just go out there and be you. Obviously I’m not 20; I’m 35 right now. But I still can move a little bit and hopefully get out there and show some things that I have.”

Henne won’t play with the full allotment of the offense. The Chiefs will rest starters other than just Mahomes, a list likely to include top receiver Tyreek Hill, tight end Travis Kelce and others.

But what might appear to be unfamiliar personnel groupings will actually look quite familiar to Henne. He has spent the season working with second-string offensive players, playing against the first-string defense in practice.

The concept is to prepare the defense for the upcoming game, obviously, but the opposite has been true, as well. And over the course of the season-long exercise, Henne has found himself attempting specific throws, offering one final clue of what we might expect against the Chargers.

“I try to give (the defense) the best look each and every week — fit throws in there that are tight throws that you normally dp in a game that you have to make,” Henne said. “I think being prepared all the way through this year with the defense, giving them the look, hopefully that will prepare me for Sunday.”