NFL notebook: Jilted Pennington signs with Dolphins
Published 12:40 am Saturday, August 9, 2008
Chad Pennington, cut by the New York Jets after they signed Brett Favre, signed with the Miami Dolphins on Friday.
The 32-year-old Pennington, expected to be the starting quarterback for Miami, agreed to the deal Friday worth $11.5 million over two years, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the move hasn’t been officially announced.
“We are neither confirming nor denying the report,” Dolphins spokesman Harvey Greene said Friday night.
Bill Parcells, now the Dolphins’ vice president of football operations, drafted Pennington with the 18th overall pick in 2000 when he was the Jets’ general manager.
The Dolphins, coming off a 1-15 season, will open the season against the Jets in Miami, giving Pennington an immediate chance to face his former team.
“The most difficult part is just the realization that the organization no longer wants you,” Pennington said. “You spend eight years there and, in the blink of an eye, you’re no longer wanted there.”
Pennington became the popular face of the Jets for several seasons and arrived in camp competing with Kellen Clemens for the starting job. The Jets jettisoned Pennington to clear salary cap space once they got Favre from Green Bay.
The 32-year-old Pennington ranks first in NFL history among quarterbacks with at least 1,500 attempts with a 65.6 completion percentage. He was often recognized as being a leader in the huddle and an intelligent field general, but was dogged throughout his time in New York for his lack of arm strength.
Injuries were also a problem for Pennington, who broke his wrist in 2003 and had two rotator cuff operations in eight months in 2005. His career was in doubt, but he bounced back and was the NFL Comeback Player of the Year after beating out Clemens, Brooks Bollinger and Patrick Ramsey for the starting job in 2006. He had his best all-around season, throwing for a career-high 3,352 yards while again leading the Jets to the playoffs and starting every game for the first time.
He struggled last season, going 1-7 as the starter and was benched after Week 8 in favor of Clemens. Pennington had done a bit better than Clemens early in training camp, and was considered the favorite to open the season as the starter at Miami.
Elsewhere
JETS: Tight end A.J. Schable was released from a Cleveland hospital and returned to New York with the team early Friday after he was taken from the field on a stretcher following a helmet-to-helmet hit in a preseason game against the Browns. Schable, signed by the Jets in the offseason, was trying to make a tackle on a kickoff return with 12 minutes to play in a 24-20 victory when he slammed into Cleveland offensive lineman Cliff Louis and was knocked backward.
EAGLES: Brian Westbrook and Philadelphia agreed to a new contract on Friday, hours before the team opened its preseason schedule against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Terms of the deal were not announced. The two-time Pro Bowl running back said early in training camp that he wanted to restructure his contract because he felt underpaid. Westbrook made it clear he wanted to be compensated like one of the best running backs in the NFL. The 28-year-old Westbrook was in the third year of a $25 million, five-year contract he signed in 2005.
RAVENS: It’s Troy Smith’s turn in Baltimore’s quarterback derby. After an uneven performance by Kyle Boller in the Ravens’ 16-15 victory over the New England Patriots on Thursday night, Smith will start the second preseason game Aug. 16 against the Minnesota Vikings at M&T Bank Stadium. The former Heisman Trophy winner will play the majority of the first half against the Vikings.
TEXANS: Houston waived running back Mike Bell and signed offensive tackle Torrin Tucker on Friday after Ephraim Salaam was sidelined with a knee injury. Salaam started all 16 games for Houston last season, but coach Gary Kubiak said Salaam will be out for three to four weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.
