Legendary New York Jets player Joe Namath recently made headlines with his harsh criticism for rookie quarterback Zach Wilson, as well as head coach Robert Saleh and General Manager Joe Douglas for the composition of the team’s roster.
Despite the directness of Namath’s comments, Coach Robert Saleh chose to respond in a polite manner.
“I haven’t spoken to Joe, but obviously Joe is an icon, a Hall of Famer, and a well-respected individual in this organization,” Saleh said. “The door is always open for him to walk in, and my office is always open for him. But we’ll agree to disagree with his comments, but he is entitled to those comments.”
Robert Saleh on Joe Namath ripping the Jets: My door is always open to Joe. https://t.co/FRXbkdUFc8
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) September 28, 2023
Namath labeled Wilson as “awful” and particularly criticized him for giving up on a play by taking a sack. While Saleh did not delve into the specifics of Namath’s comments, he defended Wilson and acknowledged the quarterback’s need for improvement.
Saleh also highlighted the unique challenge of losing quarterback Aaron Rodgers in just the fourth play of the season, a situation that few teams have had to face.
“You go into a season and we have all these aspirations. Not that any of these aspirations are over, but you just get stunted four plays in and you have to adjust on the fly,” Saleh said.
As a rookie, Zach Wilson is still adapting to the demands of the NFL. Namath’s expectation that Wilson should have been better prepared to handle the pressure is arguably unrealistic.
