In continuing our countdown of the best players ever to wear the New York Jets’ uniform, who was the best ever to wear number 94?
Over the last days and weeks, we have been taking a trip down New York Jets’ memory lane. Though they have won only one Super Bowl in their history, they have been laden with talented football players right from the beginning. From Don Maynard to Darrelle Revis and everyone in between, the history of the Jets has been rich in talent, though low on winning.
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But, who have been the best players? That is what we have been looking to determine. We have been counting backward, naming the best players to wear each jersey number. So far, we have covered number 99, 98, 97, 96, and 95. Some of the choices have been obvious, some have been a bit more obscure. As we move onto number 94, our choice is a player that was very productive during his time with the team.
His name is John Abraham.
Abraham joined the Jets in 2000 as the 13th overall pick in that year’s draft. In his rookie year, Abraham was a situational pass rusher, but fans began to see that bigger things were ahead for John in an October game against the New England Patriots. That day, he posted two sacks on the way to a 34-17 victory for Gang Green. For the season, he posted 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
The following year, Abraham became a starter and things took off from there. His shining moment came in Week 8 at New Orleans. That day, John posted four sacks, including a sack late in the game to close out the win. The performance tied Mark Gastineau and Joe Klecko for the most sacks by a Jets’ player in one game. In a three-week span including that game, he posted 6.5 sacks on his way to a 13-sack season. He also forced six fumbles and recovered three, leading to his first of three Pro Bowl invitations while in New York.
He followed that up in 2002 with his second straight Pro Bowl appearance. That year Abraham posted 10 more sacks and one forced fumble. The following year was shortened by injury, but Abraham still managed six sacks, including three in a losing effort against the Philadelphia Eagles.
In 2004, John was healthy and back terrorizing opposing quarterbacks to the tune of nine sacks along with three forced fumbles and one recovery. Early in that season, Abraham posted five sacks in a period of two weeks, two against the Miami Dolphins, and three against the Buffalo Bills, both in winning efforts. He returned to the Pro Bowl for his final appearance as a member of the team.
What became his final year with the Jets was 2005 and it was a good one. Abraham posted 10.5 sacks and six forced fumbles, recovering one fumble. His last double-digit sack performance for the Jets came in Week 13, when he posted two sacks against the Raiders in a 26-10 victory.
In February of 2006, the Jets designated Abraham with the “franchise tag”. Instead of keeping him around, the Jets traded him to the Falcons for a late first-round pick, and that was the end of Abraham’s tenure – at least with the Jets.
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Though his years with the Jets could have continued, his impact will forever be remembered. His 53.5 sacks over six years with the Jets are good for third in franchise history. The team hadn’t seen a pass rusher of his magnitude since the Gastineau days. He is, by far, the best player ever to wear No. 94 in Green and White.