When rumors began to rise that Aaron Rodgers could be playing for the Jets this season, the biggest legend in franchise history extended a major olive branch to try and lure the future Hall of Famer to New York.
Joe Namath, the only quarterback to win a Super Bowl for the Jets, offered to have his iconic No. 12 unretired so Rodgers could continue to wear the only number he has had as a pro.
But Rodgers wasn’t touching that.
“There’s been some iconic names that have played here. Probably none more iconic than No. 12,” Rodgers said. “I heard what he said about retiring his number, but to me, 12 is Broadway Joe, and I didn’t even want to go down that path. I’m excited about going back to my college number.”
The aura of No. 12 in New York isn’t lost on Rodgers, who hopes to put his name, and his new No. 8, alongside Namath as the only quarterbacks to win a Super Bowl for the franchise.
“There’s something special about playing in this city for a team like this, for a storied franchise,” Rodgers said. “Obviously going way, way back to Super Bowl III, to be a part of something special would definitely help you go down in the history of the organization…it would be fun to be a part of this one.”