V-V-V-Vinny and the Jets

By BRUCE LOWITT

Quarterback Vinny Testaverde, saying he “owes it to the Jets for my lost year,” signed with them Friday and is expected to start Sept. 24 at New England against the team that ruptured his Achilles tendon and cost him the 1999 season.

“I know I’m 59 years old and I’ve been out of the National Football League for 16 years, but I know how to run away from fat guys – I’ve stayed in shape as quarterbacks coach at Jesuit High in Tampa, where my son played quarterback,” Testaverde said.

“Besides, I’m going to bring Vinny Jr. to the Jets. He and Tim Boyle, on their practice squad, will compete to back up me and Zach Wilson, who’ll start Sunday in Dallas.”

Vincent Testaverde Jr.’s quarterback career has surpassed forgettable and made it all the way to unrecognizable. Three colleges – Texas Tech (one game), Miami (two years on the bench) and FCS Albany (2-6 in eight starts). Tampa Bay’s 2019 rookie tryout camp. Released after the preseason. And nothing with two XFL teams, two CFL teams and two indoor football league teams.

Jets coach Robert Saleh, promising his offensive line will protect Vinny Sr. better than it did 39-year-old Aaron Rodgers, said he has faith that Testaverde will be more mobile.

“Vinny hasn’t taken a snap in an NFL game since 2007,” Saleh said, “but I have no doubt the minute he sees how fast edge rushers are these days he’ll be running like the wind to save his life, if not his ankles.”

Testaverde will turn 60 Nov. 13, assuming he survives against the Patriots and the six games after that. But just by starting against them he’ll become the oldest player in NFL history. The late quarterback-placekicker George Blanda was 48 when he retired in 1975.

“Remember when Tom Brady said he wanted to play until he was 50?” Testaverde said. “Missed it by five years. Hah! Punk kid. I’ll show him.”

Rodgers sustained a season-ending torn left Achilles tendon Monday night against Buffalo. Cowboys Coach Mike McCarthy said he was sorry the Jets would be without Rodgers Sunday in Dallas, at which point his pants burst into flames.

Jets General Manager Joe Douglas admitted that Testaverde wasn’t his first choice to replace Rodgers. He also wasn’t Douglas’ second, third, fourth, fifth …

“Let’s put it this way,” he said. “I can’t count that high. But Woody (Robert Johnson IV, the team’s principal owner) has had a bug up his ass about Vinny since he bought the team in 2000, the year of the Monday Night Miracle against Miami,” when Testaverde threw five touchdown passes, four in the fourth quarter and the Jets, trailing 30-7, won 40-37 in overtime.

“I called Brady because you never know,” Douglas said. “He just laughed. So did Drew Brees and Philip Rivers. So did Matt Ryan, who (a) loves the TV booth and (b) still has nightmares about Super Bowl 51. So did the Mannings, both of them, who laughed so hard they wet their pants. So did Chris Simms. And his brother, Matt. And their father, Phil. I mean, WTF.”

Douglas said he also called Minnesota about Kirk Cousins. “From what I’ve seen this season I figure they’re ready to unload him. I mean, holy crap, he lost to freakin’ Baker Mayfield and the Bucs.”

But Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said nothing the Jets could offer “would be worth making Mack Mullens our starter.” Told that Mullens’ first name is Nick, Adofo-Mensah said, “Oh, right. Like it matters.”

Douglas said he even called Joe Namath “just for the hell of it. I mean, he’s 80 and I was going to ask what he thought we should do, even though he threw four interceptions against the Bengals in his last game as a Jet in 1976.

“But, damn, he said he was interested in trying out until he was reminded of the last game of his career, in 1977 with the Rams – another four interceptions plus two sacks and no touchdowns on a Monday night against the Bears,” Douglas said.

Namath ultimately decided against the tryout but said he’d meet up with Testaverde at MetLife Stadium to discuss selling him a Medicare Advantage plan. “Trust me,” Namath said. “He’ll need it.”