Broadway Joe Blasts Jets' Quarterback and Coaching
Joe Willie Namath isn't holding back.
The quarterback responsible for the lone Super Bowl championship in New York Jets' history delivered some harsh criticism on the current state of his former team. After the Jets failed to score more than 10 points in their second straight loss, Namath unleashed his feelings while appearing as a guest on ESPN Radio's The Michael Kay Show.
The 80-year-old Namath's comments were especially critical of starting quarterback Zach Wilson. Once drafted No. 2 overall as the franchise signal caller, Wilson lost his starting job in 2022 and has struggled while filling in for the injured Aaron Rodgers thus far this season.
"I don’t believe in him. I don’t believe he has a future as a good player. And I think they made the wrong choice when they drafted him," said Namath, whose No. 12 jersey has been retired by the organization.
In 12 quarters with Wilson at the controls, the Jets' offense has managed only three touchdowns. The embattled quarterback, who appears to lack confidence during in-game situations, has completed a league-low 52.4 percent of passes and averages only 5.6 yards per attempt. Wilson's 57.0 quarterback rating ranks 34th out of 34 qualifying passers.
"I wouldn't keep him. I've seen enough of Zach Wilson," said Namath.
The Hall-of-Fame field general, who led the underdog Jets to a 16-7 victory in Super Bowl III, suggested that the situation is ripe for division to grow amongst the players.
"There's not all harmony in the locker-room, and if there is, they need to get rid of the people," said Namath, who strongly disagrees with head coach Robert Saleh's decision to keep Wilson as QB1.
"You've got the wrong people playing and picking them," said Namath.
The comments made on The Michael Kay Show fall in line with the in-game social media postings that came from Namath during Sunday's loss. The octogenarian shared his opinions on the social media site formerly known as Twitter.
"I’m starting to wonder if Zach’s playing like he’s being coached. He’s making choices that are not intuitive to the quarterback position," said Namath in a post that was timestamped at 1:46 pm ET.
Two hours later, the legendary QB took a shot at Jets' management.
"If the team doesn’t start playing better you’ve gotta start looking at the coaches and general manager," said his post that was sent at 3:28 pm ET.
Namath has not been shy to publicize his thoughts about his old team. In February, he told WFAN's Tiki and Tierney radio show that the franchise needed to make a change at quarterback.
Namath is the lone player in Jets' history to pass for at least 4,000 yards in a single season. He currently resides in Jupiter, FL.
READ MORE:
Longtime Jets' Critic Eviscerates Zach Wilson
At 80 Years Old, Joe Namath Still Bleeds Green
Point Spread Suggests Jets' Misery Will Continue vs. Chiefs
Jets Deliver Offensive Dud, Fall to Patriots for 15th Straight Time
Pulling Jets' QB Possibilities Out of Albert Breer's Mailbag
