Chad Pennington: “You know on the sideline you’re thinking not again, but there it was”
November 18, 2009 – 10:05 am by Zach Krantz
Imagine yourself as a Miami Dolphin fan for one second. Two years ago the quarterback of your hated arch rival New York Jets is Chad Pennington, then the Jets get a hold of a guy named Brett Favre and cut Pennington. He then signs with your team; that’s right Chad Pennington is now your QB. He then takes your team from the dismal year before of 1-15 to a 11-5 record andanAFC East title. Wow, that’s one hell of a turnaround. Now going into this season the expectations are still high, although the schedule is a lot tougher, but the same team is in-house and it’s another year under the Parcells-Sparano-Ireland system. Regardless, in the mix you still have a guy, Chad Henne, waiting under Pennington who has already been anointed the QB of the future for Miami.
Fast Forward to Week 3 of the NFL season where the team is 0-2 and the there are already thoughts of when Henne will get some time to show if he is the guy for the job. Early in the second half of that Chargers game, Pennington goes down for the count with a shoulder injury and in comes the future, Chad Henne. Pennington is under contract until this season ends, so his days with the Fins could be over and done. He is rehabbing and will be up and throwing by late December or early January, but unless he has one hell of a tryout in Miami or somewhere else, a third surgery on the same shoulder could be the end for Pennington.
Chad Pennington joined WQAM in Miami and talked about his future in the NFL, the way the injury happened ,how his rehab is going and what he thinks about his Dolphins team since he left.
Asked how he is doing since the injury:
“Well Friday will be six weeks from surgery, I had the surgery on October 2nd I believe. Tomorrow I will be flying to Birmingham to visit Dr. James Andrews andspend two days with Kevin Wilk, the physical therapist in Birmingham to map out another six week program. My goal is to have my full range of motion back by the end of December and then to start throwing by mid-January, get back on my regiment and see what happens.”
Asked about the injury and how it all went down:
“Well, my shoulder was dislocated before I hit the ground, it had nothing to do with the fall. I felt the same way everyone did, how in the world did this happen. I went back and watched the film to see how it happened and you can’t tell. So all I can tell you is how I felt when it happened and as I went to throw, anytime you got to throw the football your muscles naturally relax, so you can get the proper zip. As I went to throw the football, a linebacker came and hit me on the elbow and it wasn’t harder than that. He stopped my momentum on my elbow and my shoulder kept going and popped out. So that’s what happened. You know on the sideline your thinking not again, but there it was.”
Asked if was offered the opportunity to start somewhere else or be Henne’s backup next year what would he choose:
“ Well that’s the decision I have to make and I have no idea. Part of me believes I am here for a reason and I was brought here by this organization for a reason. Because I am part of the foundation and I am laying the bricks and laying the foundation to get us to back to where we need to be as an organization and as a team, part of me wants to stay here and see the deal through and be a part of that. There is a huge part of me that feels that way. I always believe this too, you’re only one play away from having to step in and make something happen. There’s a part of me that wants to do that because I am a loyal guy, I believe in this organization, I believe what we are doing and I really enjoy this. The other part is that I am a competitor, I lead and I win games, that’s what I do as a quarterback. So there is a part of me that if there is an opportunity there, it’s going to be a very difficult decision and I have no idea what I am going to do.”
Listen to Chad Pennington on WQAM in Miami
Tags: Chad Pennington, Miami Dolphins, WQAM
