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

Mike Taliaferro

#17 · New York Jets
Retired 4 Years In The NFL
🏆 AFL All-Star (1969)
Mike's
HAIR
6.8
HeyTC AI Rating

Questions about Mike Taliaferro or the Jets?

Mike Taliaferro Legacy

HEYTC AI
Mike Taliaferro was a journeyman quarterback who embodied the AFL's scrappy, anything-goes spirit—a Rose Bowl champion from Illinois who bounced between five teams across two leagues, never quite finding his landing spot. He made the 1969 AFL All-Star game, a credential that speaks to flashes of competence amid the struggle. Taliaferro's career was defined by the grind of professional football's early era, when quarterbacks were tougher but less protected, and opportunities were scarcer. He threw more interceptions than touchdowns, a stat that tells you everything about his era and his limitations. Still, he earned his place in the league during its most chaotic, creative period—a survivor of football's wildest decade.

Mike Taliaferro Rating Breakdown

Season
Subpar
Fantasy
Non-Factor
Playoffs
Non-Factor
Overall
Cooked
4 years with the Jets

Mike Taliaferro Career Stats via Wikipedia

5,241 Pass Yards
36 Touchdowns
63 INTs
0.0% Comp %
6.8 HAIR

Frequently Asked Questions About Mike Taliaferro

How does Brady Cook compare to Mike Taliaferro?

Mike Taliaferro's the grizzled vet who slung it for the Jets in the brutal AFL days, racking up 5,241 yards and a Pro Bowl nod in '69, while Brady Cook's still scribbling his first chapter as the current Jets starter—think Taliaferro as the weathered road map versus Cook's fresh GPS. Legacy-wise, Mike's etched in Jets lore; Brady's got the arm but needs the scars.

Is Mike Taliaferro in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Nope, Mike Taliaferro's not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton—his 46.1 career rating and 36 TDs over eight seasons didn't punch that golden ticket, even with that '69 AFL All-Star shine. He's more the reliable Jets backup who stepped up when Namath sat, not a bust-engraving icon.

What is Mike Taliaferro doing now in 2026?

In 2026, Mike Taliaferro, now 84 and kicking around Houston, keeps low-key after that late '74 WFL stint with the Texans—no splashy broadcasting gigs or charity headlines popping up, just a quiet post-football life like so many AFL survivors who faded into family and fond memories of outgunning defenses in leather helmets.

How would Mike Taliaferro perform in today's NFL?

Taliaferro's quick-release pocket game and that Rose Bowl grit from '64 Illinois would carve a niche in today's pass-happy NFL, where rules shield QBs like airbags—his 5,241 yards and 36 TDs came amid brutal hits, so imagine him thriving in shotgun spreads, maybe as a savvy vet mentor flipping 15 picks into timely dimes.

How does Mike Taliaferro compare to Joe Namath?

Both Jets QBs, but Namath's Broadway Joe dazzle towers with a 40.81 rating and Super Bowl magic, while Taliaferro's gritty 6.76 mark over 45 Jets games screams tough-love backup—1,145 yards, 8 TDs, 15 picks. Mike was the hammer to Joe's spotlight; reliable when Broadway dimmed, pure AFL blue-collar.