It is incredible how short of a leash some fans of the Miami Dolphins had on Henne. All he had to do was throw a couple of interceptions in a game and a surprising number of fans called for his benching. Some fans just didn’t seem to understand that young quarterbacks need time to develop. They can’t just step in and play like Peyton Manning. Young quarterbacks need to get acclimated to the game and be comfortable when playing, and comfort like that just requires time.
I do believe, though, that we have heard pretty much the last of fans calling for Pennington to step in. I think that most Dolphins fans are finally comfortable enough with Henne in the game to allow him a bad game or two.
Henne is a great quarterback, and he gives the Dolphins the best chance to win in later seasons. He is Miami’s quarterback of the future, and taking him out would “stunt his growth” as a quarterback. Pennington may be the best option as a short-term starter, but starting Henne would be the best thing for the Miami Dolphins in the long-term.
Honestly though, I would even argue that he gives Miami the best chance to win now. Pennington is a good quarterback, but he has never been a winner. Last season Pennington went 0-3 before he was injured and Henne was forced to step in. When he played for the Jets for the first 9 years of his career New York’s record was 62-66. Sure, he didn’t play in every single game during all 9 of those years, but he played for the majority of them.
He has never been a huge winner. He does have a lot of experience, which is invaluable, but he has never won much of anything in the NFL.
Trust me, you want Chad Henne to be the Miami Dolphins quarterback for the next 10-15 years. He may make some frustrating plays every once in a while, but he is still the best option for the long run.
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