NFL: The best trade in each franchise’s history

Best trade in New York Jets history: Acquiring Joe Namath

Broadway Joe almost turned into Houston Joe.

With the Houston Oilers in possession of the 12th overall pick in the 1964 NFL Draft, the franchise was more enamored with backup quarterback Jerry Rhome. The New York Jets happily gave up the rights to the subpar QB and picked up Joe Namath instead in the draft.

Namath started off strong, in his second and third year in the league, he threw for 3,379 and 4,0007 yards respectively. His accuracy however was flat-out awful. More times than not, Namath enjoyed throwing interceptions rather than touchdowns. For his career, Namath has 173 TDs against 220 interceptions. His record as a starter wasn’t something he could be proud of either at 62-63-4. Still, Namath gets the nod for the best trade in Jets history for two reasons.

For one, Rhome was terrible for the Oilers and only lasted one season with the team. Second, and more importantly, Namath was cocky and backed it up. Heading into Super Bowl III, seldom was anyone picking Namath and his New York Jets to take down the Baltimore Colts. Growing tired of all the dubious voices, Namath guaranteed a victory.

Despite the long-shot odds, Namath delivered on his promise. The rest of his career was pretty forgettable. He battled numerous knee injuries and his numbers never reached the heights of his previous years. Still, he was a five-time Pro Bowler, Super Bowl Champ, Super Bowl MVP and a Hall of Famer.

His bravado and championship winning ways are sorely missed today as the Jets haven’t won a Super Bowl since he was under center.