Joe Namath gives Aaron Rodgers his blessing for No. 12 if QB goes to Jets

Legendary New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath said that he’d be willing to let Aaron Rodgers wear No. 12 if he were to join the team.

The New York Jets are once again in search of a new quarterback, as the Zach Wilson selection hasn’t panned out like the team had expected. The roster is playoff caliber, but the quarterback is what held them back from making the playoffs, despite sitting at 6-3 entering their bye week this season. Now, they are in a position where they will be in the hunt for a proven veteran signal caller.

One name that could be available is Aaron Rodgers, who says he’s still deciding on what he wants to do, whether that’s play for the Green Bay Packers, go to another team, or retire.

During an appearance on WFAN’s “Tiki and Tierney Show” on Thursday, legendary Jets quarterback Joe Namath brought up the potential of Rodgers coming to the Jets. Namath said that he’d be willing for his No. 12 to be unretired by the team if it helped bring Rodgers to New York.

Joe Namath open to Jets unretiring his No. 12 to help bring in Aaron Rodgers

"“I’m a big Rodgers fan, and I noticed that he wears No. 12, of course,” said Namath. “What I’m thinking, well man, if we get him on our side, is he still going to be wearing No. 12 because the number was retired many years ago…It’s on ownership, and it’s different ownership, it’s different people and I’d sure like Rodgers, if he’s there, yeah I’d want him to wear his number.”"

“Broadway Joe” is on board. Now, it’s up to what Rodgers wants to do in regards to the future of his playing career.

Last year, Rodgers played for the Packers despite reports of a rift between himself and the front office. He won the NFL MVP award that year and led the Packers to a 13-4 record. After the 2021 campaign, Rodgers and the Packers agreed to terms on a three-year, $150.8 million. Even so, Rodgers openly talked about retiring in the near future.

This season, Rodgers threw for 3,965 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions while completing 64.6 percent of his passes. The Packers finished 8-9 on the year and missed out on a Wild Card berth after their Week 18 loss to the Detroit Lions.

Rodgers said on a recent appearance of “The Pat McAfee Show” that he’s not ready to make a decision just yet.

The Jets have a need for a quarterback and an offensive coordinator after the organization and Mike LaFleur mutually parted ways. It will be interesting to see how the quarterback market shapes up by the official end of the 2022 season. From there, we could get a better idea of which quarterbacks will be available for the Jets.