Joe Namath on Jets' QBs: 'I can't see it as a positive'
With New York's Times Square as a backdrop, Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath smiles after a news conference in New York. (June 25, 2003) Credit: AP
Joe Namath is like many people who follow the NFL: Intrigued by the Jets' quarterback situation, but still skeptical about it, to say the least.
"Personally, I'm not keen on the deal, but if it does help the team then wonderful," Namath said on a conference call Thursday to promote his weekly appearances on ESPN New York, newly expanded to an hour starting at 6 p.m. Monday.
The Jets' only Super Bowl-winning quarterback said the Mark Sanchez/Tim Tebow dynamic could theoretically work out if all goes well on the field, but if not, "it's going to be kind of chaotic."
And he wondered about the organization's motivation in acquiring Tebow in the first place, suggesting the idea was "to try to get some of those headlines" in the New York-area papers, especially relative to the Giants.
Namath said he never faced a situation such as Sanchez's as a pro, and is glad he did not. "I would not like it at all, and I would have to scratch my head and say, 'What's going on here?' "
That's essentially how receiver Santonio Holmes characterized Sanchez's initial reaction to the Tebow deal.
As for Sanchez, Namath said, "I could see the surprise he felt, then over a period of time, up to today, the multiple times he's had to deal with it already. He's got to be a little hot under the collar behind it. For him to continue to say Tebow is going to help the team, I think that's great."
Namath said the Jets should win nine or 10 games based on their defense. The offense, though? "I've got to wonder myself how this is going to work out," he said. "I cannot see it as a positive unless the Jets win and win and win."
