Miami turns to Henne with Pennington's season over

An MRI on Monday confirmed the worst, that Pennington is done for the season. With his contract set to expire after the season, it also could signify the quarterback's retirement from the NFL.

Henne, their physically gifted backup quarterback, replaced Pennington in the lineup and proceeded to lead the offense on a field-goal drive in his first series. He finished the afternoon 10-of-19 for 92 yards and he threw one interception in Dolphins territory that Chargers S Eric Weddle jumped in front of and returned for a touchdown to cement San Diego's victory.

The PFW spin

Pennington long has been considered a physically fragile quarterback, and the Dolphins have long considered themselves operating on borrowed time with him. That's among the reasons why the team signed him to only a two-year deal after he was a Jets roster casualty in the wake of Brett Favre's arrival in 2007. Bill Parcells, who coached Pennington in New York, knew that he was smart, vocal, passionate … and only a short-term solution.

From the moment the Dolphins drafted Henne out of Michigan in the second round of the 2008 draft, they have been grooming him to take over the starting job. They just weren't necessarily sure when it would occur. Had Miami not embarked on its remarkable run to the AFC East title last season, Henne could have been thrown into the lineup as a rookie.

Now that we know the severity of Pennington's injury, it's more than obvious that Sunday's game marked a QB shakeup for good in Miami. The Dolphins now sit 0-3 heading into their Week Four home date against the Bills, and in a bit of twisted irony, it can be argued that there's no time like an early-season hole to make the biggest personnel decision of the season in hopes of steering things back on course.

Judging from Sunday's performance, Henne still has a lot to learn. Coordinator Dan Henning kept the throws simple, and his quarterback still had moments where he didn't look comfortable managing the game. His pick-six was particularly egregious and is the type of mistake NFL coaches won't tolerate. However, every young quarterback has his hiccups, and it doesn't change the fact that Henne is loaded with more upside than Pennington.

In the '08 draft, PFW draft guru Nolan Nawrocki ranked Henne behind only Matt Ryan on PFW's final QB board, summarizing Henne as follows in Pro Football Weekly's 2008 Draft Guide:

"An incredibly tough competitor who played most of his senior season through injury, Henne is a winner with the arm strength, intangibles and toughness desired in a starting quarterback. Was very durable throughout his career until his senior season, in which he was never able to develop a rhythm as he played through multiple injuries. Still needs to grow as a decision maker, settle down and read defenses. A big, strong dropback passer, Henne has shown flashes of greatness and could be a terrific pro if he really works at it and learns to take what the defense gives him. Could take big strides with good coaching and would highly benefit if he were not pressed into action immediately."

Essentially, the talent is there for Henning to do considerably more, especially downfield, with Henne at the helm. The potential pitfalls are certainly there, given the line's lukewarm pass-protection and the lack of go-to wide receiver, but at this point the Dolphins have been presented with a natural gateway from one quarterback to the next.