Just in case there were any lingering doubts about John Beck's prospects in Miami, head coach Tony Sparano confirms what most of us already suspected: Chad Henne is the Dolphins' quarterback of the future. Not the immediate future -- that job is still Chad Pennington's -- but come 2010, the former second-round pick is scheduled to take over the full-time gig. And while the organization is making plans beyond next season, they want to make one thing clear: there is no quarterback controversy in the interim. Pennington, who came to the Dolphins from the Jets last summer and helped guide the team to an improbable 11-5 record, is firmly entrenched as the starter for '09. Just something to keep in mind.
Via the Miami Herald's Armando Salguero:
According to a club source, the Dolphins plan to give Henne extended playing time in the preseason while giving Pennington more limited time.Salguero also points out that the team's confidence in Henne means that they're not actively pursing Jay Cutler, or negotiating a contract extension with Pennington, who's in the last year of his current deal. That's not to say the Dolphins aren't interested in keeping him around after next season, just that it might be in an advisory, backup QB role. No idea if Pennington would be up for that.
''We need to get Chad Henne ready to play,'' the source said. ``We don't think Chad Pennington has to play 12 quarters in the preseason to get ready for the regular season. But we do need to give Henne a chance to get ready because his time is coming.''
But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves; for now, the Dolphins are focused on next month's draft. And depending on how things shake out above them, they could be looking to add a big-play wide receiver with the 25th overall pick. That should make both Chads happy.
