The Old Is New for Jets

The New York Jets unveiled their remodeled uniforms Tuesday, but whether quarterback Neil O’Donnell will wear the new equipment remains questionable.

O’Donnell, whose future with the team looms as the largest off-season question mark, wasn’t on hand for the latest chapter in the franchise’s makeover, a festive fashion show held at The Official All-Star Cafe in Manhattan.

Instead, receiver Wayne Chrebet, running back Adrian Murrell and linebacker Mo Lewis modeled the new uniforms, fashioned closely after the apparel worn when the franchise’s name changed to Jets from Titans in 1963. The team will sport familiar white helmets with the original green logos for the coming campaign, along with jerseys that include striping and numbers on the sleeves and deep hunter green, a shade darker than the former outfits.

“There’s a lot of tradition in these uniforms,” said Chrebet of the changes, introduced by Coach Bill Parcells and Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath. “I remember the helmet more than anything. I wore that helmet when I was a kid [in New Jersey].”

Parcells, who celebrates his one-year anniversary with the club on Friday, refused to comment on O’Donnell’s status following the midday news conference. According to a league source, however, the Jets’ chief football operations officer was irritated by a recent report detailing his vocal disagreements throughout last year with the eight-year veteran, including a spirited sideline discussion late in the season finale at Detroit.

Several Jet officials believe that the quarterback, hoping to force Parcells to free him to play elsewhere, was behind the story. O’Donnell’s agent, Leigh Steinberg, has introduced conversations with the team regarding his client’s future.

“I don’t even know, and they’re not going to tell me even if they do know,” Chrebet said of his friend’s fraying relationship with the team. “I think coach Bill will make the right decision, whatever it will be. The times I’ve hung out with Neil [after the season], we haven’t talked about football once.”

O’Donnell, due to receive a $2-million advance on his base salary later this month, is scheduled to deliver a $6.65-million hit on the Jets’ salary cap next season, but would be asked to restructure his deal if he’s retained. The team faces up to $4 million in cap damage if O’Donnell is released or traded, depending on the timing.

The unrestricted free-agent quarterback crop, including Ty Detmer, Erik Kramer, Mark Rypien and Jim Everett, is considered marginal. The Indianapolis Colts’ expected release of Jim Harbaugh, however, would present an intriguing scenario.

“I can only worry about myself,” said backup quarterback Glenn Foley, who joined cornerback Marcus Coleman in the audience. Foley started two games in place of an ineffective O’Donnell in November before suffering a season-ending knee injury. “I’m approaching this season like I have a job to win, and go for it.”