New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) is tended to on the field during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Monday, Sept. 11, 2023, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
(NewsNation) — After New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down on the fourth play of the game Monday night against the Bills Buffalo with a torn Achilles tendon, fans had to be left wondering: Is the team jinxed?
Former legendary Jet quarterback Joe Namath says no.
“That was bad luck,” he said Tuesday on “CUOMO.”
The Hall of Famer who led the Jets to a Super Bowl victory in 1969 believes that if the front office has done their due diligence, they’ve already got a list of quarterbacks from which to choose to join Zach Wilson, who took over for Rodgers on Monday night.
“They’re the ones that got to know who’s available and who best is gonna suit their system,” Namath said of the team’s management.
One glaring problem for the Jets is their offensive line, which struggled to keep Buffalo’s rushers at bay in the opening series. Rodgers tore his Achilles as he was trying to evade a sack.
“One of the good things really about Wilson, besides the experience he had last year and then being tutored by Aaron for the last couple of months, few months anyway, he’s got quick feet. He can move around,” Namath said. “A steady pocket passer standing back there is gonna get knocked down too much.”
Wilson’s poor performance and subsequent benching last season leaves open the question of who the team will go with moving forward. Head coach Robert Saleh said Tuesday that for now, Wilson is their guy.
“We are going to look through some things, but I do want to make it very clear, Zach’s our quarterback. We have a lot of faith in Zach. We’re really excited about his opportunity. We’re rolling with Zach and excited for him,” Saleh said, as reported by CBS Sports. “We’re going to look at everything. You’re going to look at veterans, you’re going to look at young guys. Under no circumstance is this a (quarterback) competition. This is Zach’s team. We’re rolling with Zach.”
The 39-year-old Rodgers, who spent his first 18 seasons with Green Bay, was acquired by the Jets in April and immediately raised expectations for the frustrated franchise.
The Jets were a popular pick to win the Super Bowl; in fact, Caesars Sportsbook said the team posed its biggest liability in its odds to win the big game, ESPN reported. The team’s Super Bowl odds lengthened greatly after Rodgers’ injury.
“I think they know who they’re going for,” Namath said of the team’s search for another quarterback.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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