HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Kellen Clemens is ready to step aside and be the New York Jets' backup quarterback again.
"It was a lot of fun and it was a great experience being the starter for a week," Clemens said Thursday. "Hopefully that's going to pay dividends down the line."
Coach Eric Mangini said Chad Pennington will be the starter when his injured right ankle is fully healed. Based on how he's looked in practice this week, it appears he'll be under center Sunday against Miami. And that's OK with Clemens.
"As quarterbacks, we all want to compete and we all want to be out there playing on Sundays," Clemens said. "I understand that Chad's the starter. My role is the backup and I'll make the most of the reps that I get and be as ready as possible if my number's ever called. It'll be turning back to what it was before if Chad's able to play, and it'll just be an adjustment that I'll have to make."
Pennington was listed as limited in practice on the team's injury report Thursday, but he looked good dropping back and throwing light passes, just as he did the previous day. On Wednesday, Pennington said his goal was "to be available."
"I thought he did well," Mangini said before Thursday's practice. "I thought he looked good in the reps that he had. He moved pretty well. It's something that we're going to continue to monitor. We'll make sure that it's not so many reps that it becomes counterproductive."
Pennington was injured when he was sacked in the third quarter of the season-opening 38-14 loss to New England. He missed one play, but came back on New York's next series and led the Jets to a touchdown before pulling himself late in the fourth quarter.
Clemens started in his place Sunday against Baltimore, and was impressive in the final 15 minutes of a 20-13 loss. He finished 19-of-37 for 260 yards a touchdown and two interceptions in his first NFL start.
"Coach said right after the game that Chad is still the starter," he said. "I was only the starter for a week. It wasn't like I had been in there for years, so it's not a terribly difficult transition."
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
