New York Jets

National Football League · AFC East

Franchise History

Founded 1959 — Charter American Football League (AFL) franchise; organized August 14, 1959 and began play in 1960 as the Titans of New York. Renamed the New York Jets in 1963 under new ownership (Sonny Werblin group). Joined the NFL in the 1970 AFL–NFL merger.

Trophy case

Super Bowl

1968

Super Bowl III, played January 12, 1969 for the 1968 season; defeated the Baltimore Colts 16–7.

AFL Championship

1968

Beat the Oakland Raiders 27–23 at Shea Stadium to reach Super Bowl III.

Division Title

1968, 1969, 1998, 2002

AFL East 1968 & 1969; AFC East 1998 & 2002.

Retired numbers

12 Joe Namath QB; retired October 14, 1985. Super Bowl III MVP; HOF 1985.

13 Don Maynard WR; #13 officially retired by the Jets; inaugural Ring of Honor class 2010. Franchise receiving leader; HOF 1987.

73 Joe Klecko DT/DE; retired December 26, 2004. 'New York Sack Exchange'; HOF 2023.

28 Curtis Martin RB; retired September 9, 2012. Franchise rushing leader; HOF 2012.

90 Dennis Byrd DE; retired October 28, 2012. Honored after his on-field paralysis (1992) and recovery.

Defining moments

1959 Awarded as a charter AFL franchise (the Titans of New York), organized August 14, 1959.

1960 First season as the Titans of New York, playing at the Polo Grounds.

1963 Sold and rebranded as the New York Jets under Sonny Werblin's ownership group.

1964 Move into the new Shea Stadium in Queens.

1965 Sign Joe Namath out of Alabama to a then-record contract.

1969 Win Super Bowl III over the Colts (played Jan 12, 1969) after Namath's 'guarantee' — the franchise's lone title.

1970 Join the NFL in the AFL–NFL merger, placed in the AFC East.

1984 Relocate to Giants Stadium in New Jersey, sharing it with the Giants.

2010 Move into MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ); also launch the team Ring of Honor, honoring Namath, Maynard, Winston Hill and Weeb Ewbank.

Notable seasons

1968 11–3

Won the AFL Championship and then Super Bowl III over the heavily favored Colts — the AFL's first win over the NFL and one of the greatest upsets in sports history. Namath named MVP.

1969 10–4

Second straight AFL East title; lost in the divisional round. End of the franchise's golden era.

1982 6–3 (strike-shortened)

Reached the AFC Championship Game ('Mud Bowl'), losing to Miami.

1996 1–15

Worst season in franchise history — lost the first 8 games; led to the hiring of Bill Parcells.

1998 12–4

Best regular season to date under Parcells; reached the AFC Championship Game, losing to Denver.

2009 9–7

Rookie coach Rex Ryan and rookie QB Mark Sanchez reached the AFC Championship Game, losing to Indianapolis.

2010 11–5

Back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearance, losing to Pittsburgh; the franchise's most recent playoff appearance as of 2025.

Legends

Joe Namath QB (1965–1976) 'Broadway Joe'; guaranteed and delivered the Super Bowl III win; HOF 1985.

Don Maynard WR (1960–1972) Original Titan; longtime franchise receiving leader; HOF 1987.

Curtis Martin RB (1998–2005) Franchise career rushing leader; HOF 2012.

Joe Klecko DL (1977–1987) Anchor of the 'New York Sack Exchange'; Pro Bowl at three different line positions; HOF 2023.

Mark Gastineau DE (1979–1988) 'Sack Exchange' star; set a then-NFL single-season sack record (22 in 1984).

Darrelle Revis CB (2007–2012, 2015) 'Revis Island'; among the best cover corners ever; HOF 2023 (first-ballot, first primary Jet so honored).

Wesley Walker WR (1977–1989) Deep-threat receiver of the late-1970s/1980s teams.

Freeman McNeil RB (1981–1992) Franchise rushing leader before Martin; 1982 NFL rushing champion.

Wayne Chrebet WR (1995–2005) Undrafted fan-favorite slot receiver; second in franchise receptions.

Weeb Ewbank Head Coach (1963–1973) Coached the Super Bowl III title; the only coach to win championships in both the NFL and AFL; HOF 1978.

All-time records

Career rushing yards (franchise) Curtis Martin — franchise leader
Career receiving (franchise) Don Maynard — longtime franchise receiving-yards leader
Single-season sacks (franchise) 22 — Mark Gastineau (1984), a then-NFL record
Worst season (team) 1–15 (1996)
Best regular-season win total (modern) 12–4 (1998)

Sources

ESPN Schedule, scores, standings, rosters & logos nflverse EPA — advanced stats Wikipedia — New York Jets Franchise history Wikipedia — History of the New York Jets Franchise history Wikipedia — List of New York Jets seasons Franchise history Pro-Football-Reference — New York Jets (VERIFY ONLY) Franchise history Over The Cap Link-out only; not cached wholesale. Spotrac Link-out only; not cached wholesale. ESPN / NFL.com News reporting; cited for context.

Data cached Jun 10, 2026, 9:42 PM. Independent fan site — not affiliated with any team or league. Free/open data only · ad-free · no tracking. Stats are for informational use.