Getty Former New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath speaking in front of a large crowd.
New York Jets fans bore witness to some friendly fire during Super Bowl media week.
Joe Namath normally makes his way around radio row every year to reminisce about the last time the green and white was in the big dance (1968-69). Historically speaking he has been a very happy-go-lucky guy with an optimistic demeanor.
That seemingly all changed during a very interesting interview this week.
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Shots Fired Across the Bow
The legendary quarterback made a radio appearance on The Michael Kay Show and was asked about what he thought of rookie quarterback Zach Wilson?
“I think there is a side of school that is still out, a side that is still out, we have to see more but the other thing is it takes a group. Zach couldn’t perform his best for a couple of reasons and he isn’t there yet certainly. The team isn’t that solid and he needs more help around him. With help around him, it is amazing how much better a guy can play. He certainly has the physical ability to buy time and throw strikes. Most guys can improve on their accuracy and should in this day and age practicing year-round. I like him, but I don’t know how long he is going to last. You’d like for a guy to be 6-foot-6, 6-foot-7 back there in the pocket. School is still out on how Zach Wilson is going to do.”
In the leadup, to the 2021 NFL draft, Wilson’s durability concerns were raised several times as a major red flag.
He had right shoulder surgery in high school and at BYU he had surgery on a right fractured thumb.
During Wilson’s rookie season he suffered a PCL strain that forced him to miss four games.
Very Odd Hill to Die On
Most of what Namath said, objectively, were pretty fair criticisms.
Wilson went through a lot of struggles during his rookie campaign, but questioning his size and durability? A lot of folks on social media were perplexed by that comment, especially considering Namath and Wilson are the exact same height.
According to Pro Football Reference Namath is 6-foot-2, 200 pounds while Wilson is also 6-foot-2, but weighs slightly more at 214 pounds.
For those curious, currently, among NFL starters, there are only two quarterbacks that are 6-foot-6: Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers and Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
While some fans were outraged by the friendly fire of a Jets legend in Namath going after the young gunslinger in Wilson, some other fans took a different approach.
The former Super Bowl III MVP is on record as an avid Sam Darnold supporter and that didn’t end up going very well. Maybe the criticism for Wilson is actually a good thing and can be a reverse omen?
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Jets Legend Joe Namath Raises Concern Over Zach Wilson’s Future