Chad Pennington Passing
Former Jets and Dolphins quarterback, two-time Comeback Player of the Year, and current high school head coach.
James Chadwick Pennington (born June 26, 1976) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football for the Marshall Thundering Herd, winning the Sammy Baugh Trophy as a senior, and was selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2000 NFL draft. Pennington spent his first eight seasons with the Jets and was a member of the Miami Dolphins in his last three.
Quick Facts
- Notable injury year
- 2009
Lore & Background
Pennington led the league twice in completion percentage and once in passer rating. He helped clinch a division title with the Jets in 2002 and the Dolphins in 2008. He was the first player to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year multiple times, receiving the award in 2006 and 2008. At the time of his retirement, he held the NFL record for completion percentage. Since 2018, he has served as the head football coach of the Sayre School in Lexington, Kentucky.
Reader's Guide
Pennington was selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2000 NFL draft, 18th overall. After making only three appearances during his first two seasons, he emerged as the Jets' starting quarterback in 2002, leading the team to a 9–7 record and an AFC East division championship. He set a team record with a 104.2 quarterback rating that season. In 2003, he suffered a fracture-dislocation on his left hand in a preseason game, missing the first six games. In 2004, he signed a seven-year, $64.2 million contract and led the Jets to a 10–6 record and a wild card berth, but the season ended with a playoff loss to the Steelers. He underwent surgery on his right shoulder in February 2005 and again in October 2005 after another tear. In 2006, he competed for the starting job under new head coach Eric Mangini.
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