With Surprising Start, Dolphins Don't Need to Rush Chad Henne Into Starting Lineup

Late in the fourth quarter of a Week 2 blowout loss to the Cardinals, Dolphins rookie quarterback Chad Henne saw the first NFL action of his brief career. He completed 7 of 12 passes for 67 yards and, in general, didn't make a fool of himself.

Naturally, the outing was reason enough for some fans to call for a quarterback change, partly because Chad Pennington had been serviceable but uninspiring, but also because the Dolphins haven't had a franchise quarterback since Dan Marino retired in 1999.

Some eight weeks later, Miami is 4-4 and thanks to their improved play and relatively easy second-half schedule, they're legit contenders for a wild card spot. And Pennington, who has benefited from the emergence of Greg Camarillo, a revitalized running game and the Wildcat, will keep his job. Just like head coach Tony Sparano said he would back in mid-September.

Which is why the Miami Herald's Greg Cote thinks fans should temper their calls for Henne -- for stability's sake:

Let this be Chad Pennington's team for as long as he demonstrates he is best-suited to lead it. Call an audible on the rush to hand the ball to rookie Chad Henne. Why? Because the hurry to find the future isn't nearly as great when the present is so exceeding expectations.

The Dolphins find themselves now in a situation similar to Arizona's, where heir apparent Matt Leinart waits in the wings indefinitely because veteran Kurt Warner, even at 37, proves again and again he still is top-tier, still the best man for the job.

Makes sense to me. Henne is obviously the team's quarterback of the future -- they wouldn't have used a second-round pick on the position in as many years if they had faith in John Beck -- but with the Dolphins playing better than anybody expected, what's the rush?

As long as they're competitive, there's no reason to change things up. And even if the Dolphins slip down the stretch, Pennington's just 32; if Sparano thinks he gives Miami the best chance to win, that's okay, too; there are plenty of examples of young quarterbacks who learned by watching before going onto successful careers.

If nothing else, just be glad Randy Mueller and Cam Cameron passed on Brady Quinn. That might be their lasting legacy in Miami.