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We have the 54th position filled on the GGN All Time Jets Team. The winner of the second vote at Quarterback is: Ken O’ Brien!
Ken O’ Brien played 10 years in the NFL, from 1984 through 1993, the first nine with the Jets. He will always be remembered by Jets fans, perhaps unfairly, for not being Dan Marino. The Jets had the chance to draft Marino late in the first round in the legendary draft of 1983, and they chose O’ Brien instead. Never mind that the Chiefs did the same in favor of the terrible Todd Blackledge at #7 overall in the draft, or that the Patriots did the same with the mediocre Tony Eason at #15. For many Jets fans it was unforgivable that Dan Marino could have been a Jet, and instead the Jets got Ken O’ Brien. Of course O’ Brien himself was blameless in all this; he didn’t make the selection. Nonetheless, his name will always be unfavorably tied to Marino in the minds of some Jets fans.
For a brief moment in time it appeared that the Jets might have made the right choice. In his sophomore year in the NFL O’ Brien actually outplayed Marino, leading the league in passer rating and interception percentage while leading the Jets to a playoff berth. O’ Brien was arguably the best quarterback in the NFL in 1985 and he earned his first Pro Bowl honors that year. He would go on to lead the Jets to playoff berths in 1986 and 1991, earn Pro Bowl honors in 1991, and lead the league in interception percentage in 1987 and 1988, but he would never again be mentioned in the conversation for the best quarterback in the NFL after 1985. Ken O’ Brien is the Jets all time leader in career game winning drives with 16. He is one of just three Jets quarterbacks to lead the team to three separate playoff berths. Ken O’ Brien was a very good quarterback for a long time with the Jets. It is his misfortune that the one thing he will be most remembered for by many Jets fans was completely out of his control - not being Dan Marino.
OFFENSE
QUARTERBACK
JOE NAMATH
KEN O’BRIEN
WIDE RECEIVER
DON MAYNARD
WESLEY WALKER
AL TOON
WAYNE CHREBET
GEORGE SAUER
ART POWELL
RUNNING BACK
CURTIS MARTIN
FREEMAN MCNEIL
EMERSON BOOZER
MATT SNELL
TIGHT END
MICKEY SHULER
RICH CASTER
JEROME BARKUM
OFFENSIVE TACKLE
WINSTON HILL
D’BRICKASHAW FERGUSON
MARVIN POWELL
JASON FABINI
INTERIOR OFFENSIVE LINE
KEVIN MAWAE
NICK MANGOLD
RANDY RASMUSSEN
JOE FIELDS
DAVE HERMAN
JIM SWEENEY
DEFENSE
SAFETY
JAMAL ADAMS
VICTOR GREEN
KERRY RHODES
ERIK MCMILLAN
CORNERBACK
DARRELLE REVIS
AARON GLENN
JAMES HASTY
ANTONIO CROMARTIE
JOHNNY SAMPLE
BOBBY JACKSON
LINEBACKER
DAVID HARRIS
LARRY GRANTHAM
MARVIN JONES
LANCE MEHL
KYLE CLIFTON
GREG BUTTLE
EDGE
MARK GASTINEAU
JOHN ABRAHAM
GERRY PHILBIN
SHAUN ELLIS
MO LEWIS
INTERIOR DEFENSIVE LINE
JOE KLECKO
MARTY LYONS
DAMON HARRISON
JOHN ELLIOTT
ABDUL SALAAM
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker
PAT LEAHY
Punter
TOM TUPA
Returner
LEON WASHINGTON
We’re down to the final slot on the team. Today we cast the third and final vote at quarterback. Let’s see how this ends.
Poll
Who is the third best Jets quarterback of all time?
This poll is closed
-
79%
Chad Pennington
-
3%
Richard Todd
-
2%
Boomer Esiason
-
12%
Vinny Testaverde
-
1%
Mark Sanchez