Jets legend Joe Namath made his case for Michael Vick to be the starting quarterback earlier this spring, saying he should be “outstanding.”
During an interview with WFAN, Namath said that presumptive starter Geno Smith was just acceptable, offering that he was “pretty good.”
“I can’t evaluate Geno other than what I’ve heard from his coaches,” Namath said, via the Newark Star-Ledger. “I don’t see anything outstanding about him. He’s not an outstanding passer. He’s not an outstanding runner. He’s good, but nothing jumps out at me with intangibles that I’m not aware of because I’m not there on an everyday [basis].
“I haven’t seen anything really extra special from Geno, and that’s not to be negative at all. The guy performed really darn well on a professional level against guys that were so much better than he’s ever played against. The upside of Geno is going to be strong. The upside is grasping his offense versus the defenses he sees.
“Just looking at him physically, what’s outstanding about his running ability What’s outstanding about his passing ability? Nothing to me is outstanding about it, but it’s pretty good.”
The interesting part isn’t that Namath has dug in on a previously held opinion. The interesting part is his suggestion that he’s basing that opinion on conversations with coaches.
All those coaches have lined up behind Smith this offseason, and even Vick has acknowledged it’s not really a competition for a job.
So ultimately, it might not matter if one is pretty good and the other is outstanding, if the decision is already made.