William V. James Chadwick Pennington, born on June 26, 1976, is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football for the Marshall Thundering Herd and was selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2000 NFL draft.
During his career, 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, both of which are the most recent for either franchise. Pennington was also the first player to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year multiple times, receiving the award in 2006 and 2008.
Chad Pennington with the New York Jets in 2003
Early Life and College Career
Pennington is a native of Tennessee. His father, Elwood, was a physical education teacher and football coach at Halls High School, and his mother, Denise, a teacher at the Webb School of Knoxville, both in Knoxville. Both of Pennington's parents are of English descent.
Pennington's first sport was basketball, which he began playing in the third grade. He began playing football in his freshman year in high school. His parents decided to have him repeat the eighth grade when he was enrolled at the Webb School of Knoxville due to the school's intense academic program.
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Pennington was recruited by only two colleges, Middle Tennessee State University and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Originally the Thundering Herd's fourth-string quarterback in 1995 and slated to be redshirted, Pennington led Marshall to the 1995 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game, which Marshall lost to Montana, 22-20.
The following year, Pennington was redshirted in favor of Eric Kresser, a transfer from the Florida Gators, who guided the Herd's return to the I-AA Championship game (a victory) in 1996. Pennington returned to play in 1997 as Marshall moved from Division I-AA to Division I-A.
He led Marshall to the school's first bowl game victory in a 48-29 rout of Louisville in the 1998 Motor City Bowl. Pennington was named the game's MVP. In his senior year (1999), Marshall went undefeated at 13-0 as Pennington led the team to its third consecutive Mid-American Conference championship.
Pennington set school records in several passing categories. He finished fifth in 1999 Heisman Trophy voting. Randy Moss was Pennington's top receiver at Marshall. In addition to his success on the football field, Pennington excelled academically, graduating with a degree in journalism, a 3.83 grade point average and becoming a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship.
NFL Career
After making only three appearances during his first two seasons, Pennington emerged as the Jets' starting quarterback after filling in for Vinny Testaverde during the fifth game of the 2002 season. Pennington helped reverse the Jets' fortunes by leading the 1-4 team to an eventual 9-7 record and an AFC East division championship.
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Despite starting less than a full season, Pennington threw for 3,120 yards with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. His 104.2 quarterback rating set a team record. After their 2002 performance, Pennington and the Jets were given lofty expectations entering the 2003 pre-season; however, in the fourth pre-season game against the New York Giants, Pennington endured a fracture-dislocation on his left (non-throwing) hand after suffering a hit from linebacker Brandon Short.
The injury forced him to miss the first six games of the season. Due to the severity of the injury, and a rushed rehab process, Pennington's wrist would never be the same, and his once outstanding play-fake became thoroughly ordinary. Without their starting quarterback, the Jets began the season 1-4.
Into the 2004 season, the Jets signed Pennington to a team-record contract for seven years and $64.2 million and Pennington led the Jets to a 5-0 record. However, during a Week 9 game against the Buffalo Bills, Pennington injured his rotator cuff and subsequently missed three games. Second string quarterback Quincy Carter was 2-1 in Pennington's absence.
After returning to action with a rout of the Houston Texans. Despite a scuffle with the New York media and losses to the New England Patriots and the St. Louis Rams, the Jets earned a wild card berth with a 10-6 record. Pennington then led the Jets to a first-round, 20-17 overtime win against the AFC West Champion San Diego Chargers, as he went 23-33, for 279 yards and two touchdowns.
Pennington and the Jets then faced the 15-1 Steelers at Pittsburgh. Despite the Jets' offensive struggles and facing a 10-0 deficit, the Jets defense and special teams rallied to score 17 unanswered points. However, Pennington and the Jets would see their season end with kicker Doug Brien missing two potential game-winning field goals.
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Pennington feuded with the local New York media throughout the season. Pennington underwent surgery on his right shoulder in Birmingham, Alabama on February 4, 2005. It was later revealed that he had suffered a substantial tear in the right rotator cuff, as well as a large bone spur on that shoulder.
A dismal performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in September and a lackluster one against the Miami Dolphins the following week led to speculation that the shoulder had yet to fully heal, but both Pennington and Jets coach Herman Edwards denied this, citing a lack of pre-season practice and Pennington's less-than-full grasp of new offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger's plays.
On September 25, 2005, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Pennington once again suffered an injury, although he re-entered the game later and almost led the Jets to victory despite not throwing well. On October 6, 2005, Pennington once again underwent surgery to repair his right shoulder.
Pennington and the Jets expected that with more rehabilitation time than his first surgery, he would have better strength and control with his throws entering the 2006 season. In the midst of the eventually-resolved labor talks of February-March 2006, Pennington restructured his contract with the New York Jets to ensure he remained with the team for at least the 2006 season.
Entering the 2006 season, Pennington trained with new throwing coaches, and worked significantly on the strength of his torso and throwing mechanics. During training camp, new head coach Eric Mangini told players and the press that the quarterback position was still uncertain, and that all four Jets quarterbacks (Chad Pennington, Patrick Ramsey, Brooks Bollinger, and Kellen Clemens) had a chance to be the starter.
Pennington won the Jets pre-season quarterback competition, and started the 2006 season in pre-injury form. In the first two weeks of the season, and for the first time in his career, Pennington posted back-to-back 300-yard passing games. Pennington's Week One performance against the Tennessee Titans earned him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Although his lack of arm strength was often criticized, Pennington's abilities fit well with the new offense instituted by offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. The Jets took on the New England Patriots in their lone playoff game. The Jets lost 37-16, with Pennington passing for 300 yards and a touchdown.
For his stellar season, Pennington was awarded the Comeback Player of the Year Award, just one year after tearing his rotator cuff. The 2007 season was a tumultuous one for Pennington. In the first game of the season, against the Patriots, Pennington suffered a high ankle sprain that kept him out of game two.
In the third game, against the Miami Dolphins, he led the Jets to a 31-28 victory, throwing two touchdowns and running for a third. After a 17-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 4, he threw three interceptions against the New York Giants in Week 5, giving him five interceptions in two games.
Two weeks later, he threw a costly interception late in the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals. After leading the Jets to a dismal 1-7 start, coach Eric Mangini decided to bench Pennington for second-year quarterback Kellen Clemens.
Clemens suffered a rib injury during a Week 15 matchup against the Patriots, resulting in Pennington's return to game action. Pennington finished the game completing 25 of 38 pass attempts for 184 yards. He also threw for more yards and fewer interceptions than opposing quarterback Tom Brady, who was on his way to an MVP season, but that day was 14-27 for 140 yards with one interception.
Pennington started the next week at Tennessee, where the Jets lost 6-10. Clemens replaced Pennington for the final game of the season against the Kansas City Chiefs. In 2008, upon entering training camp, Eric Mangini announced a competition for the starting quarterback position between Pennington and Clemens.
Upon his release from the Jets, it was reported that at least six teams were interested in Pennington. However, only the Minnesota Vikings and the Miami Dolphins were considered as serious contenders. On August 8, Pennington signed a two-year, $11.5 million deal with the Dolphins.
Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano said that Pennington would have to compete for the starting job. He was later announced as the starting quarterback as the Dolphins moved into the regular season. His 67.4 completion percentage led the NFL and broke Miami's single-season record of 64.2 set by Dan Marino in 1984.
He finished the season with a passer rating of 97.4, started all sixteen games for the Dolphins, and led them to an 11-5 record (including winning 9 of their last 10 games) and the third seed in the playoffs with an AFC East Championship. The Dolphins went on to lose to the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the playoffs, 27-9. He was the first Dolphins quarterback since Hall of Famer Dan Marino to throw for 3,500 yards.
For his role in the Dolphins' ten-win turnaround, Pennington received notable MVP consideration from several major media outlets. He received four votes, and finished tied for second with running back Michael Turner for the 2008 AP NFL MVP.
Pennington (#10) with fellow 2009 Dolphins team captains Jason Taylor, Joey Porter and Jason Ferguson.
Pennington was the starter for the Miami Dolphins 2009 season, with Pat White as the second string, and Chad Henne as the third string. On September 27, 2009, against the San Diego Chargers, during the third quarter Pennington injured the same shoulder on which he had two previous surgeries.
On September 28, Pennington went in for an MRI amidst speculation of a season-ending injury. On September 29, 2009, it was announced that initial results show a torn capsule in his throwing shoulder. After seeking a second opinion, Pennington decided to go with a third surgery on the shoulder.
On March 5, 2010, Pennington was re-signed by the Dolphins to a one-year deal. On November 10, 2010, Pennington was named the starting quarterback for the November 14 game against the Titans. On his first play, Pennington suffered a severe shoulder injury.
Pennington married his college girlfriend, Robin Hampton, on March 1, 2001. Chad and Robin Pennington created the 1st and 10 Foundation in 2003 with the mission to build stronger communities by funding programs and institutions that seek to improve quality of life throughout West Virginia, Tennessee, and the New York metropolitan area.
Pennington created #10 Bucking Bulls with partner JW Hart.
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Career Earnings
During his NFL career, Pennington earned approximately $61,456,000. Here's a breakdown of his earnings by team:
- New York Jets: $47,256,000
- Miami Dolphins: $14,200,000
While this is a substantial amount, it's important to consider that this is not adjusted for inflation. In today's dollars, his earnings would be approximately $192,752,687.
To put this into perspective, consider the following table showing the career earnings of some other notable NFL quarterbacks:
| Player | Years | Total Earnings |
|---|---|---|
| Aaron Rodgers | 2005- | $381,692,206 |
| Tom Brady | 2000-2022 | $317,619,794 |
| Drew Brees | 2001-2020 | $273,933,000 |
| Chad Pennington | 2000-2010 | $61,456,000 |
As you can see, while Pennington had a successful career, his earnings are significantly lower than some of the more recent quarterbacks. This is due to a variety of factors, including the increasing value of quarterbacks in the NFL and the rising salary cap.
Post-Playing Career
As his playing career ended, Chad founded a breeding stable and became a stock contractor with PBR, creating #10 Bucking Bulls alongside partner JW Hart.
Despite a notorious feud with the New York media in 2004, Chad has entered that arena a bit himself in retirement, formerly working with Fox Sports. He still keeps tabs on what is going on across the NFL, giving his takes on the Jets and some of their AFC East foes.
Chad has also kept busy as a consultant of the NFL Legends program, a member of the USA Football advisory committee, serving on Marshall University’s board of governors, and becoming commissioner of the Central Kentucky Youth Football League.
However, Chad’s greatest endeavors in retirement have been giving back on and off the field. where Chad has done corporate speaking, marketing, broadcasting and coaching.
Meanwhile, Chad has also served as a coach at Sayre School since 2018. After 40 years without football, the former NFL quarterback resurrected the program for his three sons, and got to coach Cole throughout the last several years. It is also a moment of following in the family footsteps for Chad, who’s dad, Elwood, was a high school football coach for 30 years. Chad got his start coaching middle school football at the Lexington School a few years before moving on to Sayre.
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