New York Jets icon and Superbowl winning quarterback Joe Namath has seen enough of Zach Wilson to know the ‘experiment’ is over, and the youngster will not hack it with the big boys this season.
To be fair, Wilson was always going to fail to live up to expectations when he came onto the park as a replacement QB to Aaron Rodgers, after the first snap of the opening day week 1 game against the Bills.
The Jets managed to win that game in overtime, but they have been blasted by the Cowboys 30-10 in week 2 before going down 15-10 to the Patriots in a poor game for both offensive units.
The Jets sit last in the AFC East division – with their week one opponents the Bills, picking up back-to-back wins.
The loss of Rodgers has been devastating to the Jets, and fans have gone from super hyped to super bummed.
And Namath, who guided the team to a surprising Superbowl III win over the Baltimore Colts in 1969 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, was scathing in his assessment after week 3. It was the first official title that was named the Superbowl.
He spent 12 seasons at the Jets before a one-year stint at the LA Rams.
The Pro Football Hall of Famer threw for 27,663 yards with 1,886 pass completions.
“I wouldn’t keep him. I’ve seen enough of Zach Wilson,” Namath said.
“He has quick feet; he can throw a little bit. But I don’t believe what’s going on up there.”
Namath was blisteringly savage at Jets head coach Robert Saleh’s handling of the QB crisis, and the treatment Wilson has been getting from the HC.
“How can a coach say the locker room’s together?” Namath asked. “How many teams have we been on? Are you telling me there aren’t some cats on the defensive side saying, ‘Whoa, man, what’s wrong with you?’ Yeah, there’s no harmony in the locker room. And if there is, they need to get rid of people.
“You got to get people in there who are competitors and want to fight to win. These guys don’t have to be in love with each other. And if they’re saying they’re in love with each other, they’re B.S.’ing you.”
Since coming into the first game, second snap, Wilson has thrown for 427 yards, with two interceptions, and a completion rate of 52.4%.
Namath’s completion rating at the end of his career was only 50.1% so perhaps he can cut the young Wilson some slack.
Wilson was the second overall pick in the 2021 draft and was meant to be an understudy to Rodgers gaining invaluable insight. Well, there is one place where he can gain more insight that even Rodgers could have taught him: at the coalface of the scrimmage mark.
