After speaking with Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, John Jastremski then welcomed Rex Ryan on his “New York, New York” podcast to talk everything Jets and New York football.
Outside of praising Giants head coach Brian Daboll and the job he’s done so far, Ryan spent plenty of time trying to rally Jets fans behind this club. He mentioned being a fan of Robert Saleh’s “taking receipts” comments, and while he had been critical of the head coach in the past, he’s all in on the process that’s in place for Gang Green.
The former Jets head coach spoke directly to fans by saying they need to “hang with this team” because “good times are coming”. Ryan also mentioned that while he loves Joe Flacco, the veteran signal-caller is not the same as he once was. He did have a rather flattering comparison to injured quarterback Zach Wilson.
“We got this one young kid that we’re trying to develop, and I think that’s the important thing with this year…we have a dominant defense, run the football, and let’s develop this young quarterback. I think he’s probably the most skillful quarterback that this franchise has had since Joe Namath. So give this guy a chance to come back in as a young guy and grow, and let’s see what we got.”
As far as Jets quarterbacks go, getting compared to Namath is just about as good as it gets, folks.
Wilson is expected to be out of action until Week 4 due to his knee injury, and his rookie season was certainly a learning experience. He finished with a 3-10 record to go along with 2,334 yards, nine touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. While he was discussing Geno Smith’s huge performance against the Broncos on Monday Night Football, Ryan talked about how tough it is to have success as a rookie quarterback in the NFL. So, again, the message here is to be patient and let the process go to work.
Can Wilson eventually have the same kind of success as Namath? That’s what everyone is hoping for, but he’ll have to get back on the field and start showing signs of growth before these types of comparisons gain any kind of traction.
More Jets on ESNY
- Robert Saleh needs to give Buck Showalter a call
- Jets to start QB Joe Flacco in Week 2, but how long will leash be?
- Ex-Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has resurfaced in XFL
- WFAN’s Gregg Giannotti blasts Jets’ Robert Saleh: ‘You look like a fool’
- Here’s a positive note from Jets’ disappointing Week 1 loss
Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
