The Waiting Game

UPDATE: The Dolphins have just announced that Chad Pennington’s injury is a long term injury.   This will likely mean the end to his career and definitely sounds as if his season is over.  Head coach Tony Sparano has also indicated that Chad Henne will be listed as “day to day” and his availability this week is in question.  This is good news for the Dolphins if it holds true as they team will only need to look for one more QB on the street and perhaps one for the practice squad.  There has still been no official word on the nature of his injury.

The Dolphins don’t play again until Thursday but they are playing a game nonetheless.  It’s the injury game vs. the waiting game.  On one sideline you have the Dolphins myriad of injured from this past Sunday. Chad Pennington, Chad Henne, Jake Long, and Cameron Wake. All waiting official word on their prognosis for this Thursday night and perhaps their season.  On the other hand you have the Dolphins management team.  Do they already know the MRI outcomes?  Are they holding their breath to prevent the Chicago Bears from having a clue as to who will play where and who won’t?

We know that Chad Pennington is done for the year according to an ESPN report that surfaced earlier today.  After CP it get’s tricky.  Cameron Wake was walking without a limp but said he was in a little discomfort but refused to go any further.  Jake Long is a complete unknown and earlier today Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel said he would likely miss the year with a separated shoulder only to tweet later that he thinks Long will play on Thursday.  Then there is Chad Henne.  Henne reportedly dislocated his knee cap…a rather painful injury as I have done the same.  Recovery time for me was a few weeks after surgery shaved the patella, but I wasn’t an NFL player and while I had the injury in January, I still played baseball in the spring.

With the Bears only a few days away, the Dolphins would be wise to keep key injury information as quiet as possible until they have to release it.  Especially when it comes to Cameron Wake and Jake Long.  It’s almost a guarantee that the Dolphins will have no choice but to play Tyler Thigpen this week as it’s very unlikely Henne will be ready to roll.

The Dolphins hosted a few QB’s today and earlier it was reported on Rotowire that they had signed Patrick Ramsey.  I have yet to confirm that.  They did workout former first overall draft bust Jamarcus Russell but let him leave the facility without a deal.  JT O’Sullivan was also supposedly worked out and the team could look to the UFL for available QB’s if needed.

The talk this week will surround the injury status’ and the players that fans expect or want to see take their places.