New York Jets · Franchise era 1 of 6
Namath and the guarantee: the New York Jets story
Franchise era
1960—1968
Namath and the guarantee
New York Jets
The story in one sentence
The Titans became the Jets, signed Namath and validated the entire AFL by upsetting Baltimore in Super Bowl III.
The AFL's boldest team changes football
Joe Namath, Don Maynard and Matt Snell gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for after the guarantee.
Timeline
How it unfolded
The foundation
The franchise context
The Jets own one of football's most consequential victories through Joe Namath, plus the Sack Exchange and Rex Ryan peaks that have kept generations believing another breakthrough can arrive.
1968-12-29
Conference Championship: Oakland Raiders vs New York Jets
1969-01-12
Super Bowl: Baltimore Colts vs New York Jets
After 1968
What came next
Injuries limited Namath and New York spent much of the 1970s searching before a young defensive line began to emerge.
The core