More than a month ago, Joe named Chad Pennington as a stellar candidate to backup Josh Freeman next year.

So what if Pennington has shoulder issues. He’s had them most of his career. He’s also been a strong leader, a smart player, a winner, a work-ethic guy during his time with the Jets and Dolphins, and he sports the highest completion percentage in NFL history.

Josh Freeman certainly could learn a lot from him.

Pennington will become a free agent in March. This weekend he told the New York Daily News, when asked about becoming Mark Sanchez’ backup in New York, that he could embrace a backup role.

“There’s always flexibility, and I think there’s always a need for good quarterback play in this league,” Pennington told the Daily News. “There’s always a need for leadership, and you don’t necessarily have to lead from a starter’s role.”

New York needs a reliable backup quarterback since Sanchez will undergo left knee surgery in the next few weeks.

Pennington, who turns 34 in June, has injury concerns as well, but the two-time NFL AP Comeback Player of the Year is making progress.

“I’m not totally where I want to be, but I can see the progress,” Pennington told the Daily News.

Joe thinks Mark Domink should make a run at him.

The Bucs don’t need Pennington to win a Super Bowl in 2011; they need him to mentor Josh Freeman and push him to his limits. Whether Pennington can perform to his past abilities is almost irrelevant. The Bucs would still have Josh Johnson to turn to in a pinch. 

Of course, Pennington would have to be willing to lift weights at 6 a.m, if one is to believe The Mad Twitterer, aka Rick Stroud of the St. Pete Times, who made some suspect claims about Byron Leftwich last week.