The country was celebrating its bicentennial when the New York Jets first began to look for the replacement for their franchise quarterback. Joe Namath had delivered the unlikeliest of Super Bowl wins seven years earlier and had been the toast of the town since his arrival from the University of Alabama in 1965. But “Broadway Joe” had fallen on some hard times later in his tenure in Gotham due to gimpy knees.
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So when Namath was let go following the 1976 NFL season, the Jets thought that they would have a smooth transition to his successor Richard Todd. But he – and every additional signal caller who has come and gone since then – would not be the long term answer.
As the team opens training camp, there are more questions than answers roster-wide, but none that loom larger than who will be behind center when the games count. Currently, there are three vying for what may be destined to become another dubious distinction and addition to a long list of failures who have tried in vain to take the baton from Namath. Veteran Josh McCown was signed as a free agent to be either the stop gap or teacher for one of two youngsters who are not viewed as franchise quarterbacks – Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg.
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Petty started the last four games of the 2016 season and showed brief flashes, but he was basically thrown to the wolves when the team – veterans and young players alike – appeared as if they had mailed it in before the half way point in the disappointing campaign. But that was at least some OTJ in comparison to what Hackenberg received. The second round draft pick only dressed for the season finale and was the scout team quarterback for the first 16 weeks of the season, not even running his own offensive playbook all that time.
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Headed into the new season, the Jets have been picked apart and picked last by practically every pundit. They cut loose practically every veteran player and have been accused of ‘tanking’ for a top-three draft pick in 2018 when at least three highly ranked quarterbacks are said to become available. So unless either Hackenberg or Petty establishes themselves, the process begins all over again a year from now.
Regular season
| Season(s) | Quarterback (Games) |
|---|---|
| 2016 | Ryan Fitzpatrick (11) / Geno Smith (1) / Bryce Petty (4) |
| 2015 | Ryan Fitzpatrick (16) |
| 2014 | Geno Smith (13) / Michael Vick (3) |
| 2013 | Geno Smith (16) |
| 2012 | Mark Sanchez (15) / Greg McElroy (1) |
| 2011 | Mark Sanchez (16) |
| 2010 | Mark Sanchez (16) |
| 2009 | Mark Sanchez (15) / Kellen Clemens (1) |
| 2008 | Brett Favre (16) |
| 2007 | Chad Pennington (8) / Kellen Clemens (8) |
| 2006 | Chad Pennington (16) |
| 2005 | Brooks Bollinger (9) / Vinny Testaverde (4) / Chad Pennington (3) |
| 2004 | Chad Pennington (13) / Quincy Carter (3) |
| 2003 | Chad Pennington (9) / Vinny Testaverde (7) |
| 2002 | Chad Pennington (12) / Vinny Testaverde (4) |
| 2001 | Vinny Testaverde (16) |
| 2000 | Vinny Testaverde (16) |
| 1999 | Ray Lucas (9) / Rick Mirer (6) / Vinny Testaverde (1) |
| 1998 | Vinny Testaverde (13) / Glenn Foley (3) |
| 1997 | Neil O’Donnell (14) / Glenn Foley (2) |
| 1996 | Frank Reich (7) / Neil O’Donnell (6) / Glenn Foley (3) |
| 1995 | Boomer Esiason (12) / Bubby Brister (4) |
| 1994 | Boomer Esiason (14) / Jack Trudeau (2) |
| 1993 | Boomer Esiason (16) |
| 1992 | Browning Nagle (13) / Ken O’Brien (3) |
| 1991 | Ken O’Brien (16) |
| 1990 | Ken O’Brien (16) |
| 1989 | Ken O’Brien (12) / Tony Eason (2) / Pat Ryan (1) / Kyle Mackey (1) |
| 1988 | Ken O’Brien (12) / Pat Ryan (4) |
| 1987 | Ken O’Brien (12) / David Norrie (2) / Pat Ryan (1) |
| 1986 | Ken O’Brien (14) / Pat Ryan (2) |
| 1985 | Ken O’Brien (16) |
| 1984 | Pat Ryan (11) / Ken O’Brien (5) |
| 1983 | Richard Todd (16) |
| 1982 | Richard Todd (9) |
| 1981 | Richard Todd (16) |
| 1980 | Richard Todd (16) |
| 1979 | Richard Todd (15) / Matt Robinson (1) |
| 1978 | Matt Robinson (11) / Richard Todd (5) |
| 1977 | Richard Todd (11) / Matt Robinson (1) / Marty Domres (2) |
| 1976 | Joe Namath (8) / Richard Todd (6) |
| 1975 | Joe Namath (13) / J.J. Jones (1) |
| 1974 | Joe Namath (14) |
| 1973 | Al Woodall (6) / Joe Namath (5) / Bill Demory (3) |
| 1972 | Joe Namath (13) / Bob Davis (1) |
| 1971 | Bob Davis (7) / Al Woodall (4) / Joe Namath (3) |
| 1970 | Al Woodall (9) / Joe Namath (5) |
| 1969 | Joe Namath (14) |
| 1968 | Joe Namath (14) |
| 1967 | Joe Namath (14) |
| 1966 | Joe Namath (13) / Mike Taliaferro (1) |
| 1965 | Joe Namath (9) / Mike Taliaferro (5) |
| 1964 | Dick Wood (13) / Pete Liske (1) |
| 1963 | Dick Wood (12) / Galen Hall (2) |
| 1962 | Johnny Green (8) / Lee Grosscup (4) / Butch Songin (2) |
| 1961 | Al Dorow (14) |
| 1960 | Al Dorow (13) / Dick Jamieson (1) |
Post-season
| Season | Quarterback(s) |
|---|---|
| 1968 | Joe Namath (2-0) |
| 1969 | Joe Namath (0-1) |
| 1981 | Richard Todd (0-1) |
| 1982 | Richard Todd (2-1) |
| 1985 | Ken O’Brien (0-1) |
| 1986 | Pat Ryan (1-1) |
| 1991 | Ken O’Brien (0-1) |
| 1998 | Vinny Testaverde (1-1) |
| 2001 | Vinny Testaverde (0-1) |
| 2002 | Chad Pennington (1-1) |
| 2004 | Chad Pennington (1-1) |
| 2006 | Chad Pennington (0-1) |
| 2009 | Mark Sanchez (2-1) |
| 2010 | Mark Sanchez (2-1) |