Aaron Glenn and Geno Smith both are starting the 2026 season with a lot to prove as key leaders of the New York Jets.
Glenn's first year as the head coach was a bit of a disaster, as the team went 3-14, failed to record an interception on defense, and still missed out on the No. 1 pick in a one-quarterback draft. That meant they were compelled to use another bridge starter at the position, leading to the trade earlier this week to bring in Smith.
Smith's year with the Las Vegas Raiders was a flop as well, and the 35-year-old is looking to prove he still deserves a starting gig in this league. He's going back to the team that drafted him in 2013, but Glenn is obviously a new face in the building.
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Smith believes in Glenn's "real plan"
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Dec 21, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) looks towards the sideline during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
During a Tuesday [appearance on "The Exhibit Show"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MLtDk1W-vs) with NFL insider Josina Anderson, Smith professed his belief in Glenn and the operation he was attempting to run in New York.
"Coach Glenn and I have been on the phone and he's got a real plan," Smith said. "I believe in what he and (general manager Darren Mougey) and everyone over there is doing. They've got a real plan and they're ready to kind of turn things around.
"Just to be a part of that is gonna be special. It's kind of like a movie. It's kind of like a movie script."
There certainly are a lot of underdog elements to Smith's script that would lend themselves to the big screen if things somehow work out with the Jets this time around. This is the team with the longest active playoff drought in major American professional sports, and Smith was one of a laundry list of starting quarterbacks who didn't help end that drought for the Jets.
Though his performance dropped off hard in his first and only year with the Raiders, he'd made two Pro Bowls earlier this decade with the Seattle Seahawks. Can that version of Smith partner with a now-experienced Glenn to make major strides and challenge for the playoffs?