For as long as the leaves touch down in autumn, Joe Namath will be remembered as a New York Jet.
He's "Broadway Joe," after all.
For some, though, they also remember the Hall of Famer's single season in Los Angeles with the Rams before he retired. It was a forgettable footnote to a legendary career.
And that's why Namath can't bring himself to imagine future Hall of Famer Tom Brady in any uniform but that of the New England Patriots.
"It's almost beyond my belief that he would go to another team under any circumstances," said Namath, via ESPN's Rich Cimini. "I can't imagine that separation. Moving out of the New England area that he's been so accustomed to, and his family, that's a hard thing, too. I don't think he'll ever leave that totally behind, I really don't."
With his contract coming to its end with the Patriots, Brady is staring at the very real possibility of playing for a team other than the Patriots -- for whom he's so spectacularly played since the onset of this century. Brady has stated he's "open-minded"about competing for another squad.
While Namath can't see that, he's fully supportive of Brady, who will turn 43 years young in August, continuing to write one of the most successful gridiron stories in NFL lore.
"I want to see him play as long as he physically and mentally wants to, man, because we've all seen over the years the execution that has been superb more times than not," Namath said. "We don't get to see that kind of player, that kind of character, very often. It's very rare."
Namath just doesn't want Brady to repeat the mistake he made by moving on and leaving behind a franchise he was synonymous with.
"I wish I knew what I learned in making that transition before making it," Namath said, "meaning it turned out to be a very difficult transition."
Will "Touchdown Tom" heed "Broadway Joe's" advice? Only the impending offseason will tell.
