http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2464296 He may be a dangling Chad no more. Chad Pennington Pennington Although the club offered few details, New York Jets officials confirmed that quarterback Chad Pennington, rehabilitating from a second surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder, threw in seven-on-seven and "team" drills during a Tuesday practice. The voluntary organized team activity (OTA) session, closed to the media, is the first time this spring that Pennington has thrown in a team-type environment since October surgery on his shoulder. It is not known how well Pennington performed in what was viewed as an important step in his continuing recovery. But given the candor of the normally cryptic Jets organization, which under former management had been less than forthcoming in discussing Pennington's status through two shoulder injuries, the session is believed to have gone well. Pennington is expected to continue testing the shoulder in the ongoing OTAs through this week and the Jets will convene for a veteran minicamp June 15-17. The six-year veteran underwent surgery in early October to address an injury he suffered in a Sept. 25 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. That was the second surgery in an eight-month stretch on Pennington's right rotator cuff. In February 2005, he underwent an even more extensive procedure, the result of an injury from the 2004 season. Both surgeries were performed by noted orthopedic specialist Dr. James Andrews of Birmingham, Ala. In retrospect, there is some feeling now that Pennington may have come back too soon from the first of the surgeries. He started the season opener in 2005, only seven months after the initial operation, and that may have contributed to the second injury. At this point, he is nearly eight months removed from the October 2005 surgery. Sources close to Pennington insisted to ESPN in early March that the Jets quarterback would be able to throw at some point in the spring. And last month, Pennington said that, in individual workouts, he was "throwing every route we have in the playbook." How much Pennington has cut loose with his throws, the velocity to which he has built up during his long recovery, is not yet known. As insurance against the possibility that Pennington would not be able to start the season, the Jets traded this spring for former Washington first-round quarterback Patrick Ramsey, a four-year veteran. The club invested a second-round draft choice on Kellen Clemens of Oregon and the depth chart also includes three-year veteran Brooks Bollinger, who started nine games in 2005 because of the injuries to Pennington and then-backup Jay Fiedler. One of the Jets' four first-round choices in the 2000 draft, Pennington has yet to play an entire 16-game season. He played sparingly his first two years in the league, then replaced Vinny Testaverde during the 2002 season as the starter, and captured the NFL passing title that year with a 104.2 efficiency rating. But in 2003, Pennington broke his left wrist in the preseason and appeared in just 10 games, with nine starts. He missed three games in 2004 because of injuries and then started only three games last year before re-injuring his shoulder. The result: In the past three seasons, Pennington has logged just 25 starts. Pennington, who will turn 30 on June 26, dramatically restructured his contract this spring to remain with the Jets, who otherwise would have been forced to release him for salary cap reasons. For his career, Pennington has completed 767 of 1,174 passes for 8,621 yards, with 55 touchdown passes and 30 interceptions, and a passer rating of 92.1. In his three starts in 2005, Pennington completed 49 of 83 passes for 530 yards, with two touchdown passes and three interceptions. The former Marshall University star has played in 44 games and started 37 of them. Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.
I think the question is becoming less Will He Be Ready by TC and more Will He Hold Up for a full season?
DATELINE - HEMPSTEAD CHAD PENNINGTON THREW FOOTBALLS!!!11!!1!1!1!!!! We don't know how hard, or how many, or to who... BUT HE THREW FOOTBALLS!!! - Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com
heres another article from the post: This is awesome news, i dont like all of the pennington haters...this guy has been a true leader and he is so passionate. Im looking forward to seeing #10 be under center against the titans! lets go jets!:jets:
I think it's great to see that Chad is improving...The better Chad we get, the better the Jets will be, and that's a fact...The bottom line is that if he's throwing now, just think where he will be 2 months from now when the preseason starts...3 and a half months until the season starts...so it's awesome news to hear that he still has a lot of time to prepare... Go Jets!!!!
With the Jets starting their three-week organized team activity sessions (OTAs), Chad Pennington was on the field with his veteran teammates working in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills for the first time since he suffered his second torn rotator cuff in two years in Week 3 of last season. According to bystanders, Pennington didn't look like a quarterback coming off an injury; he blended in with all the other quarterbacks on the roster during drills. -- New York Post Well, we can be cautiously optimistic. I love Chad's leadership, toughness, and smarts. However, his arm strength was not good enough before the two surgeries. Now, I did read somewhere that the operation(s) might actually help his arm strength improve...something about not having the natural strength because of how his arm/shoulder was prior to the injuries - and the surgery correcting those issues. However, it remains to be seen. If Pennington can come back - with a stronger arm - great! If his arm is the same - ok, but he'll have to prove himself. If not...well, I appreciate his efforts.
Pennington takes another step, throws at minicamp http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2464296 He may be a dangling Chad no more. Pennington Although the club offered few details, New York Jets officials confirmed that quarterback Chad Pennington, rehabilitating from a second surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder, threw in seven-on-seven and "team" drills during a Tuesday practice. The voluntary organized team activity (OTA) session, closed to the media, is the first time this spring that Pennington has thrown in a team-type environment since October surgery on his shoulder. It is not known how well Pennington performed in what was viewed as an important step in his continuing recovery. But given the candor of the normally cryptic Jets organization, which under former management had been less than forthcoming in discussing Pennington's status through two shoulder injuries, the session is believed to have gone well. Pennington is expected to continue testing the shoulder in the ongoing OTAs through this week and the Jets will convene for a veteran minicamp June 15-17. The six-year veteran underwent surgery in early October to address an injury he suffered in a Sept. 25 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. That was the second surgery in an eight-month stretch on Pennington's right rotator cuff. In February 2005, he underwent an even more extensive procedure, the result of an injury from the 2004 season. Both surgeries were performed by noted orthopedic specialist Dr. James Andrews of Birmingham, Ala. In retrospect, there is some feeling now that Pennington may have come back too soon from the first of the surgeries. He started the season opener in 2005, only seven months after the initial operation, and that may have contributed to the second injury. At this point, he is nearly eight months removed from the October 2005 surgery. Sources close to Pennington insisted to ESPN in early March that the Jets quarterback would be able to throw at some point in the spring. And last month, Pennington said that, in individual workouts, he was "throwing every route we have in the playbook." How much Pennington has cut loose with his throws, the velocity to which he has built up during his long recovery, is not yet known. As insurance against the possibility that Pennington would not be able to start the season, the Jets traded this spring for former Washington first-round quarterback Patrick Ramsey, a four-year veteran. The club invested a second-round draft choice on Kellen Clemens of Oregon and the depth chart also includes three-year veteran Brooks Bollinger, who started nine games in 2005 because of the injuries to Pennington and then-backup Jay Fiedler. One of the Jets' four first-round choices in the 2000 draft, Pennington has yet to play an entire 16-game season. He played sparingly his first two years in the league, then replaced Vinny Testaverde during the 2002 season as the starter, and captured the NFL passing title that year with a 104.2 efficiency rating. But in 2003, Pennington broke his left wrist in the preseason and appeared in just 10 games, with nine starts. He missed three games in 2004 because of injuries and then started only three games last year before re-injuring his shoulder. The result: In the past three seasons, Pennington has logged just 25 starts. Pennington, who will turn 30 on June 26, dramatically restructured his contract this spring to remain with the Jets, who otherwise would have been forced to release him for salary cap reasons. For his career, Pennington has completed 767 of 1,174 passes for 8,621 yards, with 55 touchdown passes and 30 interceptions, and a passer rating of 92.1. In his three starts in 2005, Pennington completed 49 of 83 passes for 530 yards, with two touchdown passes and three interceptions. The former Marshall University star has played in 44 games and started 37 of them.
The Star-Ledger ran this story this morning also. Chad seems more optimistic this time around because he's had more time to recover than he had last time. And with our two new draftees starting together on the O-line, who knows what that will do for his ability, once he knows he's finally got some protection? It'll be a VERY interesting camp this year. I can't wait! I'm beginning to think Chad can actually pull this off.
In retrospect, there is some feeling now that Pennington may have come back too soon from the first of the surgeries. --------- LOL, in retrospect......... GangGreeners were all over this BEFORE he even HAD his first surgery. The general feeling was, why go on vacation, do this, do that....THEN have the surgery? Have the surgery ASAP so you don't have to come back too soon. So what does he do? Not listen and WRECK his career. 64 million dollar asset......
Nice... but I do remember that some who have a bit more experience with this sort of thing also mentioned that the amount of time that he waited to have the first surgery may have been a medical necessity. They mentioned the need for swellling in the shoulder to go down, or something similiar. Remember he played with a bad shoulder for the entire season. The second time he hurt it, he was done right away. I'm not medical expert, but I have to think that the team would not have let him just sit around and wait for no good reason.
I still lay blame on the prior Jets FO/CS for: #1 - allowing him to finish the 2004 season when it was obvious to everyone that he had suffered a major injury. The FO/CS should have pulled the plug immediately and had Chad get the first surgery - and that would have given him plenty of time to heal before the 2005 season. But of course, the old regime didn't have a backup plan - and pinned their future on Chad's arm. A player like Chad would never sit on his own, so it was up to his bosses to make him sit. #2 - after screwing him by playing him injured and not having the surgery right away, allowing enough time to heal for 2005...the FO/CS rushed Chad back in 2005 - and most experts agree - that led to his second injury. Again the FO/CS put their future ahead of the team's future and nearly ruined the guy. I do blame Chad for delaying the first surgery - but I have to blame the Management who mishandled the whole thing...
I went to 4 two-a-days at TC last year and reported right here on this very board what I saw with my own eyes. Despite Herm's idiotic contention that Chad was "89% ready," or some such other cockamamie percentage, what I was seeing was something totally different. I saw a QB who was painfully struggling to throw the ball even 20 yards with an exagerated, overhead motion and with absolutely zero zip on the ball. None. And nothing but moon balls. That was about the time I realized, after having religiously supported Herm through thick and thin, that my previous loyalty might have been for naught. After camp, the hype continued, and Herm pronounced Chad "as good as ever." With Jay Feidler fit as a fiddle but sitting on the bench, that all came crashing down in the first 15 minutes of the season-opening debacle at Arrowhead, which not only exposed our abysmal O-line and a QB destined for major injury, it let the entire world know we had a complete asshole for a head coach. How could I have been so blind?
Maybe he can lead the team to a perfect season - in training camp, before he goes down with an injury in week 1.
I can't wait until he proves all the haters wrong and wins Comeback Player of the Year. I find it unbelievable as to how many NFL fans across the country simply rule him out and say he's done. When healthy, he's a proven winner. People tend to forget that.
Bingo. The Jets are likely going to have multiple QB's on the field during the course of next season. I'm in the doubter category in terms of Chad being able to play 16 games regardless of whether or not he's ready to go out of TC. I wish it was a different story but generally speaking people who are injury-prone tend to get injured again when they get the opportunity.
Apparently he threw today also: Note the big news about Kliff Kingsbury getting waived. We hardly knew ya, KK!
