Chad Pennington News

"At the start of what will be a marathon competition for the Jets' starting quarterback job, there was a coin toss. Hopefully, that's not the way the competition between Chad Pennington, the veteran incumbent starter, and Kellen Clemens, the supposed future, will end. But, illustrating the breadth of this competition for the most important position on the team, Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer conducted the coin toss to see which player would take the opening snaps with the first team in the first organized team activity (OTA) practice. "

"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."

"All of these moves means there is one deal they now should not make. Don't even think of trading Chad Pennington."

" Among the topics Mangini was grilled on included the status of Chad Pennington as he enters the 2008 season competing for the starting quarterback job with Kellen Clemens. Asked specifically if Pennington might be traded before the start of the season, Mangini said, "I feel very good about Chad Pennington. "

"Tannenbaum said economics would not drive the decision on Pennington’s return, with the Jets about $27 million under the salary cap. But Tannenbaum also left open the possibility of a trade, joking that the team would trade Bruce Speight, senior director for media relations, for a second-round pick if one became available."

"Chad Pennington will be back in a Jets uniform in 2008. That was one of the strongest and most significant messages to come from Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum yesterday during a press conference at Weeb Ewbank Hall. "

"Chad Pennington wasn't good enough to keep his job and Kellen Clemens wasn't good enough to claim it - hardly an ideal quarterback situation for the Jets. What's a GM to do? Keep 'em both and let 'em duke it out. "

"General manager Mike Tannenbaum said yesterday that he expects Chad Pennington to be with the team next season, even though the eight-year veteran was benched midway through the 2007 season in favor of second-year pro Kellen Clemens."

"Leaving no doubt about the team's plans, Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said that quarterback Chad Pennington would return next season and battle second-year pro Kellen Clemens for the starting job."

" Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum and coach Eric Mangini are facing what could be the make-or-break decision of their young careers in the off-season. Who will be the quarterback they stake their reputations on? "

"He wore his familiar No. 10 possibly for the last time as a starting quarterback. The Tennessee Titans did not allow for a storybook ending to Pennington’s notable Jets career, handing his team a 10-6 loss in front of 69,143 at L.P. Field."

"Chad Pennington conceded after yesterday's loss to the Titans that he experienced a personal moment of possible finality regarding his career with the Jets."

"Save for the outcome, a 10-6 loss to the Titans Sunday, Pennington was happy to be a starting quarterback again, albeit temporarily. The game was billed as his last stand; too bad he spent much of it on his back."

"Not much had changed with the Jets' offense since the last time that Chad Pennington lined up under center as Gang Green's starting quarterback."

"Chad Pennington tried to inhale the moment, aware he may have only a few of them left as a Jet."

"If this indeed was an ending for Pennington's Jets' career, it certainly wasn't of the storybook variety. But then, anything else would've seemed out of place in this lost season. Pennington's two interceptions were crucial in the Jets' 10-6 loss to Tennessee."

"Eric Mangini, his team long since eliminated from playoff contention, decided to audition a couple of unproven offensive linemen Sunday against the Titans. The timing was peculiar, considering the Titans have a formidable front four that includes a two Pro Bowlers, DT Albert Haynesworth and DE Kyle Vanden Bosch."

"They came in together as rookies and grew up together in the Jets' offense. Now there's a chance that Chad Pennington and Laveranues Coles, close friends, could be leaving together."

"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."

"Pennington, 31, could leave the Jets via a trade, forcing his way out of town by refusing to rework his contract (he's due a $4.8 million base salary and has a $7.8 million cap number in 2008). He could convince the Jets to try to keep him with a lights-out performance today. Or he could decide he wants to stay."

"Chad Pennington, the quarterback, and Laveranues Coles, the receiver, make for an unlikely pair. But somewhere along the way, they became more like brothers than teammates, their careers linked by Jets jerseys, passing yards and touchdowns."

"Kellen Clemens threw deeper and more fluidly yesterday than he had all week, but Chad Pennington still appears likely to start at quarterback for the Jets tomorrow at Tennessee."

"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."

"Chad Pennington could be making his final start as a Jet this Sunday in Tennessee. Pennington, however, isn't banking on it being the final start of his career."

"Despite given several opportunities to say he wants to remain a Jet and battle for the starting job next season, QB Chad Pennington danced around the question and it seems highly unlikely he'll return next year."

"Chad Pennington, the player described as being the soul of the Jets, was asked what is in his heart regarding his future with the team. And, quite tellingly, he couldn't say."

"The innate swagger inherent in all pro athletes leaves Chad Pennington confident he's still good enough to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. But the events of the past two months make him question whether that future will be with the Jets, or even if he wants it to be."

"With Kellen Clemens' status uncertain because of rib and shoulder injuries, the Jets (3-11) may return to Chad Pennington for Sunday's road game against the Titans (8-6). That could upset their grand plan, which might have far-reaching implications for the Eric Mangini-Mike Tannenbaum regime."

"If Kellen Clemens is healthy enough to play Sunday, he will. That's one of the things Eric Mangini could have said yesterday. End of story. We all move on delighted in the stability of the franchise. He did not say those words."

"Not once, but two, three, four, even five times Eric Mangini was presented with the opportunity yesterday to clarify what appears to have become a cloudy Jets quarterback picture - but his responses shed little light on the situation."

"Pennington or Clemens? No clue. Rib or shoulder? It depends on whom you ask. The two most pressing issues for the Jets -- a decision about which quarterback will start this weekend and which Kellen Clemens body part was injured Sunday -- were no closer to being resolved by the time coach Eric Mangini was done speaking yesterday. "

"Eric Mangini indicated Monday that he doesn't know who will be the Jets' starting quarterback against Tennessee on Sunday. Maybe it's also fair to wonder who will be the starter next season."

"Chad Pennington showed yesterday why the Jets rode him for six years - and also why they benched him six weeks ago."

"Eric Mangini has a quarterback predicament on his hands. After starter Kellen Clemens went down Sunday on the Jets' second offensive play with what is believed to be a cracked rib, according to a person close to the situation, Mangini used both Chad Pennington and Brad Smith in the Jets' 20-10 loss to the Patriots."

"After Pennington's decent performance in yesterday's 20-10 loss to the Patriots, Mangini refused to say who would start next week when the Jets travel to Tennessee -- a decision that will no doubt lead to speculation that Pennington had taken his old job back for the final two games of the season."

"Pennington's role, however, could change drastically in the next few days. The team's quarterback situation is muddled after yesterday's 20-10 loss to New England at Gillette Stadium. Starter Kellen Clemens was knocked out of the game early in the first quarter with a rib injury, and Pennington nearly guided the 3-11 Jets to one of the biggest upsets of the season."

"If Kellen Clemens is the Jets' long-term solution at quarterback, chances are Chad Pennington won't return to the club next season. Pennington, the Jets starter since 2002, lost his starting job to Clemens three games ago but yesterday made it clear that he's not ready for permanent clipboard duty."

"Sunday's Jets game against the 0-11 Dolphins in Miami will mark one month since Pennington was benched in favor of Kellen Clemens, and that day won't hurt any less than the previous four weeks of standing on the sideline."

"So there was Pennington, the captain, for the coin toss last Sunday against the Redskins. And there went Pennington, the quarterback, to the bench, helmet replaced by baseball cap, maligned right arm flashing signals instead of throwing footballs."

"A year ago - and several years previous, for that matter - they were the Jets' top offensive players, throwing and catching their way to victories and compiling a library of highlight clips built more from grittiness than greatness. On Sunday, Chad Pennington and Laveranues Coles were in the unfamiliar role of spectators."

"On Monday, Mangini went a step further. He made Clemens the starter for Sunday’s home game against the Washington Redskins. Mangini declined to say if the change was for one game or for the rest of the season."

"When Eric Mangini summoned Chad Pennington to his office on the second floor at Weeb Ewbank Hall yesterday, it was much like a student being called to the principal's office - and nothing good ever comes out of an unscheduled visit to the principal's office."

"After weeks of speculation, Pennington's five-year run as the Jets' starting quarterback ended yesterday morning in Eric Mangini's office, where he was informed that Kellen Clemens will take over. The Clemens era begins Sunday against the Redskins at home... Unless Clemens gets hurt or implodes over the final eight games, the Jets will try to trade Pennington in the offseason."

"Chad Pennington knew it was coming, so he had been working to prepare himself as well as his replacement."

"Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens sensed for weeks the day was coming when the cagey veteran would be replaced by the young, promising second-year pro. The friends took an oath to support each other no matter what happened."

"So it was that Mangini announced yesterday, under a heap of other team news and postgame analysis, that Clemens will start against the Redskins on Sunday. He tried to explain the decision by saying Clemens 'earned this opportunity' and that 'it is in no way an indication that Chad is solely responsible.'"

"It was quiet when Eric Mangini walked into yesterday's team meeting. And it was quiet when he announced to the players that he was benching Chad Pennington in favor of Kellen Clemens."

"The news that Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens had been discussing how to handle for three weeks finally arrived yesterday when Jets coach Eric Mangini summoned each into his office to inform them of a change at starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Redskins."

"On the heels of yesterday's lackluster 13-3 home loss to the Bills, Kellen Clemens, who replaced Pennington with 3:32 remaining in the game, will become the starter this week and almost surely remain so for the rest of the season."

"It didn't seem possible, not with a bright young coach, a winning quarterback and virtually the same roster as last season, but the Jets' 13-3 loss yesterday to the Bills at the Meadowlands dropped them into ignominious company... The only suspense remaining in the current season is when - not if - Chad Pennington will be benched in favor of Kellen Clemens."