"Not even a fourth shoulder surgery in seven years is enough to convince Chad Pennington to call it quits.

But it sure has him thinking about it.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday for the first time since yet another injury prematurely ended his season last month, the hard-luck quarterback said he has not ruled out making yet another comeback -- but the odds are 50-50 he will actually do so.

``There's no doubt I can come back; I can come back,'' Pennington said. ``But I'm going to have to weigh if I'm going to be a liability or an asset. I can only step out on the field if I feel like I can help.''

Doctors believe Pennington sustained the same injury during the Dolphins' win against Tennessee on Nov. 14 -- when a fall jarred the shoulder out of place on his second play of the season -- that he did last season.

Dr. James Andrews will perform surgery on Pennington in Pensacola on Friday to determine the exact nature of the injury, but Pennington believes he again tore his right shoulder's anterior capsule.

Unlike muscle injuries, a torn capsule cannot be strengthened, but merely heals over time. But considering it's his fourth time under the knife, there is significant scar tissue in the area, complicating the rehabilitation process."