All-Time Jets QBs Ranked: Namath #1, Pennington #2

Dick Wood

Retired 5 Years In The NFL
🏆 National champion (1957)
Dick's
HAIR
15.2
HeyTC AI Rating

Questions about Dick Wood or the Jets?

Dick Wood Legacy

HEYTC AI
Dick Wood was a journeyman quarterback who embodied the scrappy, peripatetic spirit of early AFL football. Playing for five different teams across five seasons, Wood never found a permanent home but carved out a respectable career as a reliable backup and occasional starter—a 12th-round draft pick who made himself useful in an era when depth charts were shallow and opportunity knocked unpredictably. His real legacy, though, came after he hung up his cleats: Wood became a respected offensive mind, coaching quarterbacks and coordinating offenses across the NFL and college ranks. He was the kind of guy who understood the game's fundamentals because he'd learned them the hard way, grinding through Denver, San Diego, New York, Oakland, and Miami before finding his true calling on the sideline.
Dick Wood passed away on April 4, 2015 at the age of 79.

Dick Wood Rating Breakdown

Season
Subpar
Fantasy
Subpar
Playoffs
Non-Factor
Overall
NPC
2 years with the Jets

Dick Wood Career Stats via Wikipedia

7,153 Pass Yards
51 Touchdowns
71 INTs
0.0% Comp %
15.2 HAIR

Frequently Asked Questions About Dick Wood

How does Brady Cook compare to Dick Wood?

Dick Wood's a ghost from the Jets' AFL grit era—7,153 yards, 51 TDs across five teams—while Brady Cook's just lacing 'em up as the current starter, chasing shadows in a pass-happy league. Wood's ledger is etched in faded newsprint; Cook's still scribbling his first chapter, one sideline scramble at a time. No contest—legacy's a long shadow.

Is Dick Wood in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Nah, Dick Wood never made the cut for Canton, that gilded shrine for the immortals. He slung it for the early Jets and bounced around the AFL, but 7,153 yards and 51 scores didn't punch his ticket. Hall's for the Namaths, not the journeymen who paved their roads.

How would Dick Wood perform in today's NFL?

Wood's quick-release arm and mobility would've feasted under today's no-touch passing rules—think fewer defenders muggings quarterbacks like in his '62-'66 days. That 47% completion? Inflated pads and zones would've juiced it to starter relevance, maybe backing up a mobile guy in Shanahan's tree.

How does Dick Wood compare to Joe Namath?

Both Jets gunslingers, but Wood's 15.19 passer rating looks like a parking spot next to Namath's 40.81 blaze—Broadway Joe torched defenses while Dick grinded in the AFL trenches. Wood backed up the legend early, handing off glory like a loyal understudy in a star's spotlight.