Zach Wilson Responds To Criticism From N.Y. Jets Legend Joe Namath
Sep 28, 2023, 7:58 PM
Zach Wilson #2 of the New York Jets reacts in the first quarter against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium on September 24, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Former BYU Cougars quarterback Zach Wilson responded to harsh comments made about his play by New York Jets legend Joe Namath.
Zach Wilson reacts to Joe Namath’s comments
Ahead of the NFL’s Week 4, the Corner Canyon High School product spoke with the media on Thursday, September 28.
RELATED: Joe Namath, O.J. Simpson, Others React To Zach Wilson’s Play With Jets
Earlier in the week, Namath blasted Wilson for his play following a rough performance in New York’s 15-10 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 3.
“I didn’t take anything positive out of it. It was awful,” the Jets legend said of Wilson during an interview on the Michael Kay Show. “I wouldn’t keep him. I’ve seen enough of Zach Wilson.”
A few days later, the former BYU star had the chance to reply to Namath’s comments publicly.
“He’s passionate,” Wilson told the media. “He’s obviously one of the greats, so as an offense we’ve got to do everything we can to try to prove him wrong.”
The Jets quarterback called Namath “an unbelievable player” but steered the focus to him and the Jets offense trying to improve despite the remarks.
“This locker room is very tight-knit and we’re working to get better,” Wilson said.
Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett echoed Wilson’s comments.
“If you take our body of work these past three games, it hasn’t been pretty. That’s facts,” Hackett stated. “Anybody that questions us, we have the right to prove everybody wrong.”
Nathaniel Hackett was asked what he saw from Zach Wilson last week:
"I think we as a group on offense have to do better, it's all of us. I think that we put our entire offense into some really bad situations, it doesn't matter who is out there at quarterback" pic.twitter.com/LMzz2sQIpj
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) September 28, 2023
Wilson, who met Namath as a rookie in 2021, revealed that his tenure in New York hasn’t gone the way he expected when the Jets selected him with the No. 2 overall pick out of BYU.
“I would hope that things could’ve gone better. I understand the frustration with the outside,” the BYU product said. “I get it because it hasn’t been as good as I’ve wanted. All I can do is just progressively keep trying to work to improve and get better.”
The Jets currently own a 1-2 record this season.
New York’s next game is at home against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, October 1 at 6:20 p.m. (MDT) on KSL 5 TV.
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About Zach Wilson
Before his time in the NFL, the Corner Canyon High School product had a standout career at BYU. Wilson helped the Cougars to an 11-1 record during his final season in Provo.
Following his college career, the Jets selected Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
During the quarterback’s rookie season, Wilson missed four games due to a knee injury. He finished the year throwing for 2,334 yards, nine touchdowns, and 11 interceptions with a 55.6 completion rate.
Before his second season, the former BYU star underwent surgery after suffering a knee injury in New York’s preseason opener. Without Wilson, the Jets opened the 2022 season with a 1-2 record. After returning, the Jets posted a 5-2 record before Wilson was benched for the first time. After a month on the sidelines, Wilson returned to action for a couple of contests before he was benched again.
Wilson-to-Wilson 💥@ZachWilson throws a strike to Garrett Wilson for a 68-yard touchdown. 🎯#LocalsInTheNFL #NFL #TakeFlight #NYJvsDAL #BYUFOOTBALL @kslsports pic.twitter.com/p2mXPYGRpY
— Kyle Ireland (@kyleireland) September 17, 2023
Last season, the Jets posted a 7-10 record and missed the NFL Playoffs.
RELATED: Zach Wilson Discusses Taking Over As New York Jets’ Starting QB
Wilson finished the 2022 season having thrown for 1,688 yards, six touchdowns, and seven interceptions with a 54.5 percent completion rate. He has a rating of 72.9 and a QBR of 37.1. The Jets missed the playoffs with a 7-10 record.
During his first two seasons in the league, Wilson passed for 4,022 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions. He also ran for 287 yards and five touchdowns.
Kyle Ireland is a Sports Producer and Locals in the NFL Insider for sports.ksl.com. He’s also co-host of the Yards After College Podcast. Follow him on X/Twitter (@kyleireland), Instagram (@kyleirelandksl), and Threads (@kyleirelandksl).
