Clemens-sooner than you might think?

[Bugg]

http://www.nysun.com/article/35781

Pennington Can Only Hope That Life Begins (Again) at 30

Football

BY MICHAEL DAVID SMITH

July 11, 2006

URL: http://www.nysun.com/article/35781

For most NFL quarterbacks, 30 is the age at which their teams expect them to have developed a full grasp of the mental side of the game while still maintaining their physical skills. But Jets quarterback Chad Pennington, who turned 30 on June 26 and will soon begin his seventh training camp with Gang Green, faces a very different situation.

Pennington became the Jets' starter in 2002 and seemed to have a handle on the strategic and playbook side of the game almost immediately. He showed a precocious ability to manage the Jets' offense and read opposing defenses, leading the league in the NFL's passer rating statistic (which combines completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdowns, and interceptions).

In the last two seasons, though, his mental sharpness could not overcome his one serious physical flaw: A shoulder that won't stay healthy. Pennington had surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff on his throwing shoulder twice last year