Joe Namath: Nick Foles could be one of the best quarterbacks to play in the NFL

A Hall of Fame quarterback thinks Nick Foles might be destined someday to be among the best quarterbacks ever to play the game.

In an exclusive interview with Yahoo Sports and the Shutdown Corner blog, former New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath counts himself a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles second-year quarterback. Foles plays in his first playoff game on Saturday night against the New Orleans Saints, and Namath thinks the Eagles have an edge in this game because of Foles.

“Over the past month, I’ve decided that Nick Foles is one of the best passers I’ve seen,” Namath said. “He throws on the move, what he puts on the ball - wow. He is special. He runs around there like an NBA guard, or maybe even a small forward. He’s big; he can throw. His throwing motion, throwing on the move, reminds me of Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. Throwing that ball, this cat is good. He gives them a big edge.”

Namath, the hero of Super Bowl III who was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, is considered one of the best arms to ever play in the NFL. In Foles, he sees someone who “can be special, really great.”

In 13 games this season, Foles threw for 2,891 yards with 27 touchdowns and only two interceptions. But Foles’ mobility for a big quarterback — he is listed as 6-foot-6 — impresses Namath, who was known for his mobility before a knee injury during his senior year at Alabama cut back on his scrambling.

“I didn’t see [Foles] play a game in college. I didn’t even see him! But boy do I see him now. He certainly does move around beautifully. When I see him throwing in the last few months. I saw him make some throws on a rope and others where he puts some air on it. Others on swing passes where he puts it out there, not too much heat … you know, passes you can really handle. He has change of speeds. He doesn’t knock them over on a short post. He has a knack of judging distances,” Namath said.

“I believe he can be real special. Really special, really special. I like this kid.”

Namath is doing an NFL Playoff blog exclusively with Yahoo! Sports and he picked the Eagles to win Saturday night in their NFC Wild Card game against the Saints. To read Namath’s blog, click here.

You can follow Yahoo!Sports Kristian R. Dyer at @KristianRDyer.