Free agent quarterback Chad Pennington won't have to worry about whether or not his shoulder will hold up this NFL season — and not because there might not be a season.
Whether or not there are NFL games this fall, Pennington, 35, is taking the 2011 season off in order to work in the broadcast booth.
"I'm actually going to take this year off, get healthy and do some work for Fox Sports," Pennington told the Charleston (W.V) Daily Mail. "I'm going to evaluate things and see where I am physically."
The 11-year veteran has struggled with injuries in recent years, missing the 2010 season with a severe shoulder injury suffered in his first game of the year. In 2009 he injured the same shoulder and missed the final 13 games of the season. He has had four surgeries on his throwing shoulder throughout his career.
In late March, Pennington tore his ACL playing pick-up basketball with friends, a choice he now regrets.
"[Playing basketball] was just a dumb decision," he said. "I haven't played (football), I wasn't training real hard at the time because I was doing some shoulder rehab, and my legs weren't ready to play basketball, so it was just dumb."
A two-time NFL Comeback Player of the Year, Pennington hasn't played a full season of football since 2008 and has only done so twice in his career. He will use his time away from the game to rehab from his injuries.
"It seems like I majored in that [injury comebacks]," he said. "I'm trying to get away from that. It seems to follow me around."
The former signal caller will partner with Sam Rosen as an analyst for Fox Sports this fall. While being unable to play is disappointing Pennington said it is important not to rush back to the gridiron too soon.
"I planned to make a fourth comeback, but it doesn't make sense to try to rehab a shoulder injury a fourth time on top of an ACL injury. I'm at a point of my career where I haven't been patient before. I'm going to be patient now."
