Jets legend Joe Namath on Zach Wilson: 'I've seen enough'
Joe Namath leaves the field during the first quarter at a game between the Jets and the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 8, 2019. Credit: Getty Images
The greatest quarterback in Jets history has seen enough of their current one.
Joe Namath blasted Zach Wilson during an interview on “The Michael Kay Show” on ESPN New York radio Monday afternoon. Namath used the words “awful” and “disgusting” in describing what he saw from Wilson in Sunday’s loss to the Patriots.
“I don’t believe in him,” Namath said. “I don’t believe he has a future as a good player. I think they made the wrong choice when they drafted him.”
Wilson was sacked three times, and on one of the plays, he just laid down before anyone hit him. That drove Hall of Famer Namath crazy.
“You sit down?” he said. “You sit down on the play? You go right down? What happened? I thought you’re trying to win and make plays! You quit on a play! What is going on? It’s disgusting.”
The solution, according to Namath, is to get rid of Wilson.
“Send him to Kansas City to back up against someone like [Patrick] Mahomes,” Namath said. “Maybe he’ll learn something. I wouldn’t keep him. I’ve seen enough of Zach Wilson, all right? I’ve seen enough. He has quick feet, can throw a little bit, but I don’t believe what’s going on up there.”
Earlier in the day, Robert Saleh said Wilson is “our unquestioned quarterback.” He added that Wilson has “improved and he’s been getting better.”
Namath, who led the Jets to their only Super Bowl title, also said Jets owner Woody Johnson should move on from general manager Joe Douglas and Saleh.
“Get rid of everybody,” Namath said. “He’s got to start over. Mr. Johnson, these guys aren’t picking the right players, they’re not doing a good job of coaching. It’s evident. You’ve got to look and see. If you’ve got an eye about football at all, you see things are haywire. It’s too crazy. They need to fix it. That’s getting rid of a lot of people and bringing new ones in.”
This was supposed to be a promising season for the Jets after they acquired Aaron Rodgers, but he tore an Achilles tendon on the Jets’ fourth offensive snap of the season, forcing them to go back to Wilson.
The offense has looked dismal with Wilson running it, and now their most well-known and legendary player is going scorched earth on the team.
“We’re looking at an offense that doesn’t play well,” Namath said. “You got an offensive coordinator [Nathaniel Hackett] that doesn’t seem to be calling the right plays. For this fan, they need to make major changes from top to bottom. Change.”
One of Namath’s issues with Saleh was the coach’s statement that he’s not worried about the locker room dividing.
“How can a coach say the locker room’s together?” Namath said. “Are you telling me there aren’t some cats on the defensive side saying, ‘Whoa, man, what’s wrong with you?’ It’s not all harmony in the locker room. If there is, they need to get rid of the people.”
Starting with the quarterback.
“I guess you don’t point the finger at any one guy, but as a fan, I sure do, the guy who handles that ball and has to make decisions,” Namath said. “He’s got to be right more times than not. We’ve been watching him for a couple of years now. I don’t have any confidence in him at all.”
Meanwhile, former NFL quarterback Matt Ryan said he doesn’t want to return to football to play for the Jets. Fox Sports reported that Ryan, now an NFL analyst on CBS, and Carson Wentz reached out to the Jets about joining them. Ryan said he’s not interested.
“No, not on my end,” Ryan said during an interview with CBS Sports HQ on Monday. “I got no interest in doing that right now. I’m enjoying what I’m doing.”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
