Greatest New York Jets of All Time

These are the greatest players to ever take the field for the New York Jets.

We may never know if Aaron Rodgers was the greatest player ever to wear a New York Jets uniform. Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon in his first first game with the Jets in the 2023 regular season, ending his season.

While Rodgers and the first part of his saga with the Jets was documented in “Hard Knocks” — HBO’s long-running documentary series about NFL training camps — he’ll always be looked at as a member of the Green Bay Packers, where he spent the first 17 seasons of his career.

Rodgers will not be able to turn around the Jets’ fortune in 2023, but many other great players have tried to do the same in the past 60-plus years of the franchise’s history. And football fans actually look at these players as Jets, including nine Pro Football Hall of Famers.

Here’s a look at the (actual) greatest players in New York Jets franchise history.

20. Wesley Walker, Wide Receiver

Ron Frehm / AP Photo

Born: May 26, 1955 (San Bernardino, California)

High school: Carson High School (Carson, California)

College: Cal

Pro career: New York Jets (1977-89)

Career highlights: NFL All-Pro (1978), two-time Pro Bowl (1977, 1982), PFWA All-Rookie Team (1977), New York Jets Ring of Honor

Bottom line: Wesley Walker is truly one of the forgotten, great players from the late 1970s and early ’80s — he led the NFL in receiving yards in 1978 and made two Pro Bowls.

Walker retired in 1989 after 13 seasons, all with the Jets, with over 8,000 receiving yards and one of the best playoff performances in NFL history by a wide receiver to that point. He caught 15 passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns in two games.

Even more incredible? Walker did all of this while being legally blind in his left eye.

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19. Matt Snell, Running Back

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Born: Aug. 18, 1941 (Garfield, Georgia)

High school: Carle Place High School (Carle Place, New York)

College: Ohio State

Pro career: New York Jets (1964-72)

Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1969), AFL champion (1968), AFL Rookie of the Year (1964), four-time All-AFL (1964, 1964, 1968, 1969), three-time AFL All-Star (1964, 1966, 1969), New York Jets Ring of Honor

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Bottom line: Matt Snell was a star defensive end and running back at Ohio State — he was named to the Ohio State All-Century Team on defense — but starred as running back in the NFL for the Jets.

Snell’s finest moment came in the Jets’ 16-7 upset win over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, where he carried the ball 30 times for 121 yards while battling a knee injury. Snell makes this list for his sheer versatility because he could not only run the ball well, but he was also considered just as valuable as a pass blocker. Unfortunately, he’s been at odds with the Jets since his retirement in 1972 over beef with former owner Leon Hess, who Snell says reneged on a promised reference letter for a job.

18. Ken O’Brien, Quarterback

Ray Stubblebine / AP Photo

Born: Nov. 27, 1960 (Rockville Centre, New York)

High school: Jesuit High School (Carmichael, California)

Colleges: Sacramento State/UC Davis

Pro career: New York Jets (1983-92), Philadelphia Eagles (1993)

Career highlights: Two-time Pro Bowl (1985, 1991)

Bottom line: It’s not Ken O’Brien’s fault the New York Jets drafted him in 1983 ahead of Dan Marino — arguably the greatest draft in NFL history.

O’Brien had Marino hanging over his head for the entirety of his career, but he was as good as almost any quarterback in Jets history, making two Pro Bowls and leading the NFL in passer rating in 1985. O’Brien also led the Jets to the playoffs three times in seven seasons as the starter.

17. John Abraham, Defensive End

Kathy Willens / AP Photo

Born: May 6, 1978 (Timmonsville, South Carolina)

High school: Lamar High School (Lamar, South Carolina)

College: South Carolina

Pro career: New York Jets (2000-05), Atlanta Falcons (2006-12), Arizona Cardinals (2013-14)

Career highlights: Four-time NFL All-Pro (2001, 2002, 2008, 2010), five-time Pro Bowl (2001, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2013)

Bottom line: John Abraham can count himself among the greatest players for two different franchises — the New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons. Abraham was selected to the NFL All-Pro Team twice with each team, including three Pro Bowls with the Jets and two with the Falcons.

Abraham finished his career with 133.5 sacks and a staggering 47 forced fumbles.

16. Marvin Powell, Offensive Tackle

New York Jets

Born: Aug. 30, 1955 (Fort Bragg, North Carolina)

Died: Sept. 30, 2022, 67 years old

High school: Fayetteville Seventy-First High School (Fayetteville, North Carolina)

College: USC

Pro career: New York Jets (1977-85), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1986-87)

Career highlights: Three-time NFL All-Pro (1979, 1980, 1982), five-time Pro Bowl (1979-83)

Bottom line: Marvin Powell was a two-time All-American at USC before the New York Jets made him the No. 4 overall pick in the 1977 NFL Draft and quickly became one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL. Powell made three NFL All-Pro appearances and was selected to five consecutive Pro Bowls from 1979 to 1983, including being named New York Jets Team MVP in 1979.

Following his playing career, Powell was a lawyer in Beverly Hills; his son, Marvin III, also played in the NFL.

15. Mo Lewis, Linebacker

Eric Draper / AP Photo

Born: Oct. 21, 1969 (Atlanta, Georgia)

High school: Murphy High School (Atlanta, Georgia)

College: Georgia

Pro career: New York Jets (1991-2003)

Career highlights: Two-time NFL All-Pro (1998, 2000), three-time Pro Bowl (1998-2000)

Bottom line: Mo Lewis saw a stellar career overshadowed by one play. While he played his entire career with the Jets, he will forever be remembered as the man who started the New England Patriots dynasty when he hit quarterback Drew Bledsoe so hard he sheared a blood vessel in his chest. Bledsoe’s injury forced the Patriots to turn to backup Tom Brady, and the rest is history.

Lewis was great all on his own — he was named NFL All-Pro twice and was a three-time Pro Bowler. Lewis wound up playing 200 games for the Jets, making him the third-longest tenured player in franchise history.

14. Mickey Shuler, Tight End

Richard Drew / AP Photo

Born: Aug. 21, 1956 (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)

High school: East Pennsboro High School (East Pennsboro, Pennsylvania)

College: Penn State

Pro career: New York Jets (1978-89), Philadelphia Eagles (1990-91)

Career highlights: Two-time NFL All-Pro (1986, 1988), two-time Pro Bowl (1986, 1988), New York Jets All-Time Four Decade Team

Bottom line: Perhaps one of the most underrated tight ends of all time, Mickey Shuler played 12 seasons for the Jets and racked up 462 receptions, 5,100 receiving yards and 37 touchdowns for his career. Plus, he was named NFL All-Pro twice and made two Pro Bowls.

Shuler’s son, Mickey Shuler Jr., also played tight end for Penn State and was in the NFL.

13. D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Offensive Tackle

Don Wright / AP Photo

Born: Dec. 10, 1983 (New York, New York)

High school: Freeport High School (Freeport, New York)

College: Virginia

Pro career: New York Jets (2006-15)

Career highlights: Three-time Pro Bowl (2009-11), PFWA All-Rookie Team (2006), New York Jets Ring of Honor

Bottom line: The New York Jets selected D’Brickashaw Ferguson as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft after an All-American career at Virginia, and he wound up playing all 10 of his NFL seasons in New York. Ferguson was the lynchpin of the Jets’ offensive line on teams that made it to back-to-back AFC Championship Games in 2009 and 2010. Yes, the Jets were one win away from the Super Bowl for two years in a row, and Ferguson was one of the main reasons why — because in 10 years, he played in 160 consecutive games, never missing a single start.

In pop culture, Ferguson was also the inspiration for the famous “East-West College Bowl” sketch on Comedy Central’s “Key & Peele” — one of the all-time great YouTube clips.

12. Wayne Chrebet, Wide Receiver

Bill Kostroun / AP Photo

Born: Aug. 14, 1973 (Garfield, New Jersey)

High school: Garfield High School (Garfield, New Jersey)

College: Hofstra

Pro career: New York Jets (1995-2005)

Career highlights: New York Jets Ring of Honor

Bottom line: There isn’t a lot of NFL talent coming out of then-NCAA Division I-AA Hofstra, where Wayne Chrebet tied Jerry Rice’s I-AA record with five touchdown receptions in a single game before making the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 1995.

Chrebet, just 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, became one of the most beloved players in Jets history and one of the greatest “rags-to-riches” stories in NFL history. He played all 11 seasons with the team, and his 580 career receptions are second to just Hall of Famer Don Maynard in franchise history.

One amazing Chrebet stat is that of his 580 career receptions, 379 of which converted a third down to a first down.

11. Nick Mangold, Center

Tom Gannam / AP Photo

Born: Jan. 13, 1984 (Centerville, Ohio)

High school: Archbishop Alter High School (Kettering, Ohio)

College: Ohio State

Pro career: New York Jets (2006-18)

Career highlights: Three-time NFL All-Pro (2009-11), seven-time Pro Bowl (2008-11, 2013-15), PFWA All-Rookie Team (2006), New York Jets Ring of Honor

Bottom line: One of two centers to make this list, Nick Mangold won a national championship as a freshman at Ohio State and turned himself into an All-American before the New York Jets selected him in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. It’s worth noting that the Jets picked future NFL All-Pros in back-to-back drafts with Mangold and cornerback Darrelle Revis in 2007.

Mangold played his entire 13 seasons in the NFL with the Jets, where he was named NFL All-Pro three consecutive years from 2009 to 2011 and was a seven-time Pro Bowl pick.

10. Al Toon, Wide Receiver

Ed Bailey / AP Photo

Born: April 30, 1963 (Newport News, Virginia)

High school: Menchville High School (Newport, Virginia)

College: Wisconsin

Pro career: New York Jets (1985-92)

Career highlights: Two-time NFL All-Pro (1986, 1988), three-time Pro Bowl (1986-88), AFC Player of the Year (1988), New York Jets All-Time Four Decade Team, New York Jets Ring of Honor

Bottom line: The name of Al Toon should be sweet music to any NFL fan from the 1980s — the electrifying wide receiver lit up defenses over a relatively short eight seasons.

Toon led the NFL in receptions in 1988 and is one of just two players in NFL history, alongside Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow Sr., to amass 500 receptions in under 110 career games. Concussions forced Toon to retire from football in 1992 at just 29 years old.

Toon’s son, Nicholas, was a star wide receiver at his father’s alma mater, Wisconsin, and also played four seasons in the NFL.

9. Winston Hill, Offensive Tackle

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Born: Oct. 23, 1941 (Joaquin, Texas)

Died: April 26, 2016, 74 years old (Denver, Colorado)

High school: Weldon High School (Gladewater, Texas)

College: Texas Southern

Pro career: New York Jets (1963-76), Los Angeles Rams (1977)

Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1969), AFL champion (1968), three-time NFL All-Pro (1970-72), three-time All-AFL (1964, 1968, 1969), four-time AFL All-Star (1964, 1967-69), four-time Pro Bowl (1970-73), AFL All-Time Team, New York Jets Ring of Honor, Pro Football Hall of Fame

Bottom line: Winston Hill was a two-way star at Texas Southern on offense and defense and turned his back on the NFL after being drafted by the Baltimore Colts to play for the New York Jets in the AFL.

Hill ended up being a star in both leagues, helping lead the Jets to their lone Super Bowl win in 1969 while he made the All-AFL Team three times and the NFL All-Pro Team three times. Hill died in 2016 and was posthumously elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

8. Larry Grantham, Linebacker

Jim Kerlin / AP Photo

Born: Sept. 16, 1938 (Crystal Springs, Mississippi)

Died: June 17, 2017, 78 years old (Jackson, Mississippi)

High school: Crystal Springs High School (Crystal Springs, Mississippi)

College: Ole Miss

Pro career: New York Titans/Jets (1960-72), Florida Blazers (1974)

Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1969), AFL champion (1968), 10-time All-AFL (1960-69), five-time AFL All-Star (1962-64, 1966, 1969), AFL All-Time Team, New York Jets Ring of Honor

Bottom line: Arguably the most dominant AFL linebacker of all time, Larry Grantham played his entire career with the same franchise, as the New York Titans became the New York Jets, and he made the All-AFL Team a staggering 10 times in 13 seasons.

Grantham returned to pro football with the World Football League’s Florida Blazers in 1974 following a one-year retirement. He died in 2017 at 78 years old.

7. Joe Klecko, Defensive Line

Paul Benoit / AP Photo

Born: Oct. 15, 1953 (Chester, Pennsylvania)

High school: St. James High School (Chester, Pennsylvania)

College: Temple

Pro career: New York Jets (1977-87), Indianapolis Colts (1988)

Career highlights: NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1981), three-time NFL All-Pro (1981, 1983, 1985), four-time Pro Bowl (1981, 1983-85), New York Jets Ring of Honor

Bottom line: Joe Klecko was part of the famous “New York Sack Exchange” in the 1980s alongside Mark Gastineau, Abdul Salaam and Marty Lyons.

Klecko was a sixth-round pick by the Jets who turned into a superstar, earning NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1981 and making the NFL All-Pro team three times. Klecko is one of the most versatile defensive linemen of all time, making All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams at both defensive end and defensive tackle.

6. Kevin Mawae, Center

Bill Kostroun / AP Photo

Born: Jan. 23, 1971 (Savannah, Georgia)

High school: Leesville High School (Leesville, Louisiana)

College: LSU

Pro career: Seattle Seahawks (1994-97), New York Jets (1998-2005), Tennessee Titans (2006-09)

Career highlights: Eight-time NFL All-Pro (1998-2002, 2004, 2007, 2008), eight-time Pro Bowl (1999-2004, 2008, 2009), NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, PFWA All-Rookie Team (1994), New York Jets Ring of Honor, Pro Football Hall of Fame

Bottom line: Kevin Mawae spent his first four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks and then became a star over the next eight seasons with the New York Jets. He made six consecutive Pro Bowl appearances and was named to the NFL All-Pro team six times.

Mawae once played 177 consecutive games in his career — almost unthinkable for someone at his position — and ended his career with two more All-Pro selections and two more Pro Bowls in four seasons with the Tennessee Titans.

5. Mark Gastineau, Defensive End

Mark Duncan / AP Photo

Born: Nov. 20, 1956 (Ardmore, Oklahoma)

High school: Round Valley High School (Eagar, Arizona)

College: Eastern Arizona Junior College/Arizona State/East Central Oklahoma State

Pro career: New York Jets (1979-88), BC Lions (1990)

Career highlights: NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1982), Five-time NFL All-Pro (1981-85), five-time Pro Bowl (1981-85), New York Jets All-Time Four Decade Team, New York Jets Ring of Honor

Bottom line: One of the players who defined the NFL in the 1980s was New York Jets defensive end Mark Gastineau, who is still one of just three players in NFL history alongside the late Reggie White and J.J. Watt to lead the league in sacks two seasons in a row.

Gastineau played at three different colleges before the Jets selected him out of NCAA Division II East Central Oklahoma State (it’s a real school) in the second round of the 1979 NFL Draft. Gastineau terrorized offensive lines over the next decade, finishing with 107.5 sacks in just 137 career games. Gastineau shocked the NFL in 1988 when he abruptly retired halfway through the season in order to care for his fiancee, actress Brigitte Nielsen.

It’s worth pointing out that, for as great as Gastineau was, he was also one of the most supremely hated NFL players in history and notorious for crossing NFL player picket lines in 1987.

4. Curtis Martin, Running Back

Charles Krupa / AP Photo

Born: May 1, 1973 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

High school: Allderdice High School (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

College: Pittsburgh

Pro career: New England Patriots (1995-97), New York Jets (1998-2006)

Career highlights: Three-time NFL All-Pro (1999, 2001, 2004), five-time Pro Bowl (1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2004), NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1995), PFWA All-Rookie Team 91995), New England Patriots All-1990s Team, New York Jets Ring of Honor, Pro Football Hall of Fame

Bottom line: Curtis Martin is one of only four players to rush for over 14,000 yards in a career and made all three of his NFL All-Pro Teams and all three Pro Bowls with the Jets after spending the first three seasons of his career with the New England Patriots.

Martin averaged approximately 1,300 rushing yards per season through the first 10 seasons of his career and had 735 rushing yards in his 11th season with four games left to play before a knee injury ended his season. Martin also has over 17,000 all-purpose yards in his career.

3. Don Maynard, Wide Receiver

William P. Smith / AP Photo

Born: Jan. 25, 1935 (Crosbyton, Texas)

Died: Jan. 10, 2022, 86 years old (Ruidoso, New Mexico)

High school: Colorado High School (Colorado City, Texas)

College: Rice/Texas Western

Pro career: New York Giants (1958), Hamilton Tiger-Cats (1959), New York Titans/Jets (1960-72), St. Louis Cardinals (1973), Houston Texans/Shreveport Steamer (1974)

Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1969), AFL champion (1968), four-time All-AFL (1965, 1967-69), AFL All-Time Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame

Bottom line: One of the greatest wide receivers in pro football history, Don Maynard was cut by the New York Giants following his rookie season in 1958, spent one season in the CFL and then finally landed with the New York Titans in 1960.

Maynard played for the Titans/Jets for 13 seasons and finished his career with 633 receptions for 11,834 yards and 88 touchdowns. Maynard died in 2022 at 86 years old.

2. Darrelle Revis, Cornerback

Matt Dunham / AP Photo

Born: July 14, 1985 (Aliquippa, Pennsylvania)

High school: Aliquippa High School (Aliquippa, Pennsylvania)

College: Pittsburgh

Pro career: New York Jets (2007-12, 2015-16), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2013), New England Patriots (2014), Kansas City Chiefs (2017)

Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (2015), four-time NFL All-Pro (2009-11, 2014), seven-time Pro Bowl (2008-11, 2013-15), NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, PFWA All-Rookie Team (2007), New York Jets Ring of Honor, Pro Football Hall of Fame

Bottom line: Few cornerbacks in NFL history can compare to Darrelle Revis. The New York Jets selected him with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, and he wound up playing two stints with the team, from 2007 to 2012 and from 2015 to 2016.

Revis made five of his seven Pro Bowls with the Jets and made three consecutive NFL All-Pro Teams as well. Mention “Revis Island” to any NFL fan in the last 20 years, and they’ll know who you’re talking about.

1. Joe Namath, Quarterback

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Born: May 31, 1943 (Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania)

High school: Beaver Falls High School (Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania)

College: Alabama

Pro career: New York Jets (1965-1976), Los Angeles Rams (1977)

Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1969), Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (1969), Pro Bowl (1972), NFL All-Pro (1972), NFL Comeback Player of the Year (1974) Pro Football Hall of Fame (1985)

Bottom line: Joe Namath isn’t just the greatest New York Jet of all time, he’s also one of the most famous professional athletes of all time. Namath’s lasting fame all goes back to when he guaranteed a win for the Jets over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III in 1969 and then delivered on one of the most famous upsets of all time. It was that win that ushered in the NFL as we know it, forcing the AFL and NFL to merge.

Namath had his best seasons in the AFL, winning two league MVP awards in his first five seasons and being named to the All-AFL team four times. He’s still the prototype for the sports anti-hero.