After another weak performance by the New York Jets and Zach Wilson against the New England Patriots (10:15), team legend Joe Namath spoke out and sharply criticized the young quarterback.
Namath (80), who led the Jets to their only Super Bowl success after the 1969 season, spoke about the current Jets on the “Michael Kay Show” on “ESPN Radio New York” on Monday and was not enthusiastic: ” I didn’t take anything positive away from the game. It was terrible.”
Namath particularly didn’t like Wilson’s first sack of the game because he wasn’t even touched by the opponent: “You just sit down? You sit down on a play? You just go down? What happened?” Namath continued: “I thought you were trying to win and make plays. You just give up a play? What’s going on? That’s disgusting.”
That led Namath to the conclusion that the Jets should give up Wilson: “I wouldn’t keep him. I’ve seen enough of Zach Wilson.”
New York Jets: Namath calls for “big changes”
That’s not all, because according to the Hall of Famer, there also needs to be changes in the head coach (Robert Saleh) and general manager (Joe Douglas): “These people don’t choose the right players. They don’t do a good job when it comes to coaching . It is obvious.” Therefore, it is time to “get rid of some people and bring in new ones.” “You have to make big changes, from top to bottom,” Namath continued.
However, Saleh had previously emphasized on Monday that Zach Wilson would remain his quarterback. He called him a “significantly improved” player compared to the past and called him his “undisputed quarterback.”
Wilson was the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and has been the Jets’ starter intermittently since then, but was relegated to the bench several times last year due to poor performance. He is currently the only QB on New York’s roster alongside Tim Boyle since Aaron Rodgers’ injury.