![]() His time with the Jets was defined by one inglorious moment - a 2015 locker-room punch by teammate I.K. ![]() One quarterback drafted by the Jets in the past 30 years has been selected to a Pro Bowl - Geno Smith, who did it last season with the Seattle Seahawks. Of the 36 quarterbacks who have started since Namath's last year in 1976, one has won more than 40 games - Ken O'Brien, who won 50 starts from 1984 to 1992. If he plays anything like he's played in the past, they've got a shot, a real shot."Įxcept for an occasional spasm of success - four trips to the AFC Championship Game in the post-Namath era - the Jets have ranged somewhere between punching bag and also-ran over the past five decades, in large part due to substandard quarterback play. They have the defense and they have the offensive standout guys. "As we know and believe, he's making them a contender right now. But Aaron, watching him, his athleticism, and the way he moves around out there, nobody has ever done it better than him. "Brady has the championships - seven Super Bowls. "I've never seen anyone better," said Namath, his voice rising at the table. With Rodgers, he doesn't have to manufacture optimism. Ever the optimist, Namath usually keeps it positive even if he does have concerns. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson, who was replaced after two seasons. As such, the Super Bowl III MVP always gets asked his opinion of the current quarterback, whether it's a recycled veteran or a shiny draft pick such as No. ![]() Now it's on Rodgers, who knows a thing or two about darkness, to change the "Same Old Jets" narrative and get them to a championship.Ī FEW WEEKS after Rodgers was traded to the Jets, Namath sat at his kitchen table in Tequesta, Florida, imagining the possibilities.īroadway Joe, who attracted sidewalk crowds and plenty of paparazzi in his day, is the patriarch of Jets quarterbacks. Only Testaverde got within an arm's length of the Lombardi Trophy. The Jets have tried this before, importing an older, accomplished quarterback to lead them out of the darkness: Boomer Esiason, Neil O'Donnell, Vinny Testaverde and Brett Favre, to name the most prominent. "I visualize that all the time," said Rodgers, who debuts Monday night against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium (8:15 p.m. Ultimately, he wants to duplicate what a 43-year-old Tom Brady did for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. This year, they created their own Summer of Love, watching as a rejuvenated Rodgers, 39, galvanized a team of young stars and older veterans with his hugs-and-handshakes style of leadership. 12, 1969, a few months before Woodstock, led by Hall of Famer Joe Namath. The Jets last played in the Super Bowl on Jan. For a change, the Jets are on the carpet and inside the velvet ropes, not gawkers on the outside. A franchise that has endured the Butt Fumble, the Fake Spike, the Sucker Punch and too many quarterback-related calamities to count believes it finally has the right person at the most important position in sports. That's how it's been since day one when I got here."įrom Day 1 to Day 138, Rodgers has been a star on a mission to change more than a half-century of bad Jets karma. "There were a ton of fans, just like paparazzi. "It was like we were some sort of pop band or something - a boy band," he said later. Out stepped their new starting quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, wearing dark shades and exuding "VIP" as he walked the Jets green carpet with fans screaming his name. 30.Ī barricaded crowd on the sidewalk outside the Ziegfeld Ballroom on West 54th Street in Manhattan buzzed with anticipation as the New York Jets' buses, led by a police escort, pulled up for their annual kickoff luncheon. A small corner of the big city came to a virtual stop at noon on Aug. You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserĪaron Rodgers out to change course of New York Jets historyįLORHAM PARK, N.J.
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