Jets football blog

Jilted Pennington has heart of a champion

Even with a rotator cuff in need of surgery,Chad Pennington would have been 60 minutes from a Super Bowl if Doug Brien hadn't missed that 43-yard field goal in Pittsburgh in that heartbreaking 2004 divisional playoff game.This Sunday is his personal Super Bowl.

I've been around Pennington enough to know how obsessed he was with bringing the Lombardi Trophy to Weeb Ewbank Hall, before the franchise moved operations to Florham Park, N.J., this season. He dreamed of that parade down the Canyon of Heroes. He bled green and white, because that is his nature. He sacrificed NFL life and limb to win a championship for the franchise that gave him his professional start. Continue

Chad Pennington calls for snap decision

Chad Pennington understands why the Jets' front office is intrigued by Brett Favre, but the Favre Watch is entering Day4 and Pennington wants closure. "The bottom line is this: Sooner or later, the organization has to make a decision, one way or the other, and I hope it's sooner than later," Pennington said Sunday after practice - a surprisingly pointed comment from a player always known as a good company man.

"I think for our team to move on and to accomplish the things we want to accomplish, what Coach Mangini and Mike (Tannenbaum) want to get accomplished, we've got to make a decision," he continued. "The sooner the better." Continue

Jet QB battle revisited

Today begins a series of four Jets practice sessions that will provide a first look at the quarterback competition that's a lock to be the theme of training camp once it begins in July. Since the end of last season, Eric Mangini has said the starting QB position is an "open competition" between Chad Pennington , 31, and Kellen Clemens, 24, and that makes today open season on the public portion of that competition, though it's merely a voluntary camp.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to who will emerge as the starter. First, after the Jets signed a number of new players to more than $140 million on contracts this offseason, it would be easy to deduce that they're in a "win-now" mode. That would suggest that Pennington, who's proven he can win in the NFL with a competent cast surrounding him, might have the edge. Continue

Jets' QB quandry

Will he stay or will he go? Will Chad Pennington remain with the Jets in 2008, or are they ready to commit wholeheartedly to Kellen Clemens and eschew their most competent safety net in the process by jettisoning Pennington?

That's the most pressing question that faces the Jets as they embark on what's certain to be an active offseason of changes. Yesterday, the day after their season-finale victory over the woeful Chiefs, the Jets offered no answers - mostly because they don't have any answers at the moment. As for Pennington, he reiterated his burning desire to be a starter in the NFL, regardless of where he starts. Continue

Pennington, Coles uncertain of futures with Jets

Chad Pennington tried to inhale the moment, aware he may have only a few of them left as a Jet. "Walking off the field, I took a big, deep breath and took a look around the stadium," the eight-year veteran said after yesterday's 10-6 loss to the Titans, his first start since late October and, in all likelihood, his final start for his only franchise. "It was nice to be close to home. It was bittersweet coming off the field after a loss, but having not been in there for a while ... It just felt good being the starter again."

Pennington still believes he is a starting-caliber quarterback, but he's also aware that it probably won't happen here. Eric Mangini has said second-year player Kellen Clemens gives the Jets the best chance to win, and if he is capable of getting enough practice reps this week, he'll be the starter Sunday in the season finale against the Chiefs. That Clemens was healthy enough to be the backup yesterday indicates he is ready to return. Continue

Audition game for Chad

Considering his 32 regular-season wins in 60 starts, a 41-0 playoff win over Peyton Manning, and the highest completion percentage (.653) of any quarterback in NFL history, Chad Pennington's next job shouldn't be dependent on what he might do in Tennessee today or against the Chiefs next Sunday. "I think [considering] the last eight years, people understand who I am and what I am capable of doing," he said.

Then again, after losing a starting job following playoff appearances (and one victory) in his past two fully healthy seasons, Pennington doesn't have to be reminded you absolutely are as good as your last game. In a what-have-you-done-lately league, an impressive finish undoubtedly will impress a second, third, or fourth team. It's just that none of them likely will be the Jets. Continue

Chad: I'm a starter

Chad Pennington, who appears to be a virtual lock to start against the Titans on Sunday in Nashville, Tenn., was as defiant as ever yesterday when discussing himself as a starting quarterback.

Pennington never thought he should have been benched in the first place, though he understands why it occurred. And the Tennessee native burns inside to show everyone he can still play and win and is stoked about the prospect of doing that in his home state. "It's always exciting to go and play in front of some familiar faces and play in your home state," Pennington said. "I'm excited about possibly having the opportunity to play." Continue

Chad Pennington gets nod, for now

In due time, the Jets will have to decide if Kellen Clemens is their quarterback of the future. One thing became abundantly clear yesterday: He's not their quarterback this week.

With Clemens suffering rib and shoulder injuries, the Jets will return to Chad Pennington - remember him? - for Sunday's road game against the Titans, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. "It's as certain as you could be," the person said. Not surprisingly, the ever-secretive Eric Mangini claimed he still hasn't made a decision, indicating he wants to evaluate Clemens after a full week of practice. Continue

Chad Pennington appears set to bolt

Chad Pennington sounded very much Wednesday like a player who knows his days in New York are numbered. He didn't say that - he doesn't want to become a distraction to his teammates - but he made two comments that smacked of a quarterback preparing to scramble.

Discussing his cloudy future, the Jets' deposed starter said there will be "all kinds of different scenarios and different avenues I'll have to look at" in the offseason, hinting that he intends to have a big say in the matter. Technically, he can't pull an A-Rod, opting out, but Pennington could request a trade or his release. Continue

Chad's handled the change with class

Chad Pennington knew it was coming, so he had been working to prepare himself as well as his replacement. "We've talked about this scenario before," Pennington said of conversations in recent weeks with backup and now starter Kellen Clemens. "Our promise to each other was that no matter what happened, we would give each other our full support and do whatever we needed to do to help the other one be successful."

The chats started in Week 2 when Clemens replaced an injured Pennington. After the loss to the Giants in Week 5, they again started talking about their reaction to any pending changes. In the last couple of weeks, with things being, as Pennington called them, "semi up in the air," they spoke more frequently. Continue