"Chad Henne isn't scared of competition, and he doesn't care if it comes from the mentor he replaced as the Miami Dolphins' starting quarterback.

In fact, put Henne down as an influential endorser, pushing for the Dolphins to re-sign Chad Pennington.

"I'd love it. I love Chad to death," Henne said when asked about Pennington possibly returning to the Dolphins. "Whatever happens, happens. I learned so much from him. If he's with us, I'll learn even more. It's a great opportunity if he comes back. We'll welcome him back."

But that doesn't mean Henne is interested in relinquishing his job as starting quarterback. As a starter, Henne led the Dolphins to seven wins while completing 60.8 percent of his passes for 2,878 yards and 12 touchdowns.

"If we want to compete I'm definitely up for the competition," said Henne, who participated in the team's Fins-Cup Pro Am golf tournament on Monday. "Anywhere you go you're going to have to compete for the job. It'd be a great one-two combo."

Although General Manager Jeff Ireland acknowledged the Dolphins have spoken to Pennington about returning, the front office would prefer it be as a backup to Henne, the Dolphins' 2008 second-round pick, whom Ireland has called the future of the franchise.

Pennington, an unrestricted free agent recovering from shoulder injury to his throwing arm in September, favors a return to the Dolphins. Especially considering he plans to leave his family in South Florida.

But Pennington's priority entering his 11th season in the NFL is to remain a starter, and it's possible teams such as St. Louis, Arizona and Jacksonville will grant him an opportunity to compete for that role if he proves his arm is up to it. The Dolphins would jump to the top of that list if they also make it an open competition."