NFL

One day after his release from the New York Jets, Chad Pennington signed a two-year, US dollars 11.5 million contract Friday with the Miami Dolphins, according to published reports.

The 32-year-old Pennington, who was released on Thursday after the Jets traded for Brett Favre, should be the starter for the Dolphins, who drafted quarterback Chad Henne in the second round.

Pennington, who spent eight seasons in New York and reportedly was contacted by several teams after being released, would be reunited with Miami vice president Bill Parcells, who brought the quarterback into the league as a first-round pick with the Jets in 2000.

In an ironic twist, the Dolphins open the season at home against the Jets, giving Pennington a chance to match up against his old team.

"From what I've heard about him, I've only heard that he's a very intelligent player," Dolphins first-year coach Tony Sparano told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "And he's always been pretty accurate with what he did with the ball ... I know the guy's a competitor."

Pennington completed 68.8 percent of his passes and threw 10 touchdowns compared to nine interceptions in 2007. Throughout his career, he has thrown 88 scoring strikes, with 55 interceptions and a 68.6 completion mark in 70 games.

The Knoxville, Tennessee native's best season was his first as a starter in 2002. Pennington threw a career high 22 touchdowns and six interceptions while leading the Jets to a 41-0 playoff win over Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. His 104.2 quarterback rating was a team record.

However, injuries began to hamper a promising career. Pennington underwent shoulder surgery twice in 2005, but came back to win the 2006 Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year as New York claimed a 10-6 record and a playoff berth.

In 2007, he suffered a high ankle sprain in the season's opening week and failed to reclaim his job from rookie Kellen Clemens upon returning. Clemens, a 2006 second-round pick, did not impress in his first campaign, but it became clear that Pennington had no place in the Jets' rebuilding plans.

Pennington said: "If something happens with Miami, it'll be because I feel good about the situation and the opportunity. It won't have anything to do with the New York Jets or me trying to prove a point."