Joe Namath had some kind words to in the wake of Eli Manning’s retirement.
Manning officially stepped away from the NFL after 16 seasons on Friday, closing his career with a press conference at the Giants’ facility. Namath and Manning are both Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks with Namath having one and Manning have two.
The two New York legends have drawn some comparisons since Manning announced his retirement, but Namath doesn’t see himself on the same level as his Big Blue contemporary. Rather, he thinks Manning’s accomplishments dwarf his.
“I was pretty good and did some things. Eli, I marveled at. He was remarkable,” Namath told The New York Post. “I wouldn’t compare myself to Eli. He’s done far more than I ever did on the field. … The games played. The durability. The playoffs. I remember early on he was getting some heat, he didn’t always smile much, but every player that’s ever played with Eli swears by his work ethic and his character.”
Manning was one of the healthiest quarterbacks the NFL has ever seen. In 16 years, Manning never missed a game due to injury. Of course, the rules during Namath’s days didn’t protect the quarterback as much as they do now.
As for the playoffs, Manning and the Giants were in the postseason six times during his career. The Jets were in the playoffs twice with Namath under center.
One thing they do have in common though is that all of their Super Bowl wins were upsets. The Jets were not expected to beat the Baltimore Colts in the Super Bowl in 1969 and the Giants were underdogs to the New England Patriots in both of their Super Bowls victories.
The only thing Namath has over Manning right now is that he’s in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Manning isn’t. Although, that should change once Manning is eligible.
That doesn’t have to happen right away to see that Namath is right, though. Both players are New York icons, but there’s no disputing that Manning had the better career.