By TIM GRAHAM
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

The new Dolphins front office wants concussion-prone quarterback Trent Green to come back for 2008.

Dolphins football operations chief Bill Parcells and General Manager Jeff Ireland have reached out to Green to express their interest in his return.

"There have been conversations about Trent returning, pending his health issues," Green's agent, Jim Steiner, said Monday night. "The conversations are just getting started, and they will be ongoing for quite some time.

Green has "got a huge passion for the game, and he's passing his medical tests 100 percent," Steiner said.

But Green still hasn't made up his mind whether he wants to resume a career that has been waylaid by concussions in each of the past two seasons.

Green, who wants to enter broadcasting once he retires, spent the playoffs commentating for ESPN and the NFL Network and appeared to be having fun.

"The first step is I have to get cleared," Green said just before the season finale.

"The second step is my wife and I have to make a decision that's in the best interest of our family."

It's not certain whether the Dolphins view Green as more of a mentor or a starter, but if he does come back, he'll probably need to accept a pay cut.

He is scheduled to receive $2.8 million and $3.5 million the next two years under the three-year, $12 million contract that he signed upon joining the Dolphins last year.

Green will be 38 years old when the next training camp opens and is coming off an abbreviated campaign in which he threw five touchdown passes and seven interceptions. He posted a team-high 72.6 passer rating for a team that went 1-15.

Dolphins coach Cam Cameron lobbied General Manager Randy Mueller to acquire Green in June for a fifth-round draft choice in this year's NFL Draft.

The move was controversial when it happened because of the questions surrounding Green's health, and the fears came to pass.

The two-time Pro Bowler suffered a concussion in the 2006 season opener with Kansas City. While sliding after a run, he absorbed a driving shoulder from Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Robert Geathers that caused the back of Green's head to slam off the turf.

Green missed eight games but came back to help the Chiefs reach the playoffs.

Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor, commenting on the situation during the summer, expressed to Sports Illustrated apprehension over Green being the team's next quarterback.

"He'd better not get hit. One big hit, and he could be scrambled eggs," Taylor told the magazine.

Green started the first Dolphins' five games but was knocked unconscious in the Oct. 7 loss to the Houston Texans.

Green went low to block 6-foot-3, 315-pound Houston Texans defensive tackle Travis Johnson on a broken play. Dolphins receiver Ted Ginn Jr. had fumbled on an end-around and doubled back. Green tried to disrupt pursuit and got kneed in the head.

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This makes me more sad than anything. Getting knocked the fu$% out a couple times in a little more than one year should be more than a warning there, guy.