It’s crazy to think about the reunions that are happening in the sports world. Odell Beckham Jr. has returned to the New York Giants, and there’s another former New York football player who will be looking to make things right with the organization that drafted him and hoping to help the New York Jets win. That player is none other than former Jets second-rounder Geno Smith, who will look to take advantage of his second opportunity with Gang Green, after his first tenure was an utter failure.
As the Jets went about finding another veteran quarterback to run the offense after the Justin Fields experiment didn’t work out, the Jets traded with the Las Vegas Raiders, receiving Geno Smith and a 2026 seventh-round pick in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick. It’s crazy to think that after the first tenure between the Jets and Geno Smith didn’t work out for a multitude of reasons, they’d reunite. The Jets looked at many quarterbacks this offseason, including Jacoby Brissett, Jimmy Garoppolo, Malik Willis, and Carson Wentz. In the end, they decided to go with Geno Smith. Trading for Geno Smith will give the Jets a more stable leader under center, as Smith has proven himself to be a premier quarterback who can make it in the league and hopefully propel the Jets’ offense to where it should be.
Many could not have predicted that Geno Smith would suit up for Gang Green again. When he left the Jets in 2017, many thought that would be it. If it works out for the Jets and Smith, this could be a story of redemption, with both teams getting a second chance to make things right with each other. Perseverance, as Smith is looking to bounce back after a rough year in Las Vegas, and the Jets are trying to improve off a 3-14 season. Last but not least, leadership: head coach Aaron Glenn, who is overseeing this Jets rebuild, is looking to Geno Smith to help lead the Jets back to relevance.
Geno Smith was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round, 39th overall, out of West Virginia in 2013. Coming out of college, Smith was perceived as a first-round talent and the top quarterback in a comparatively weak class.
Scouts looked at Smith and praised him for his prototypical size, arm strength, and pinpoint deep-ball accuracy. In 2012, he threw for 4,205 passing yards, 42 touchdowns, and only 6 interceptions for West Virginia. The concerns surrounding Smith were his inconsistent footwork and worries about how he’d handle dropping under center in the pros. Many thought he’d benefit from sitting behind a veteran for a year to refine his footwork and adapt to a pro-style offense.
After many thought he’d be a first-round selection, he’d ultimately slipped to the Jets in the second round. With the Jets still having Mark Sanchez at quarterback, Smith would have to fight for the starting quarterback job in training camp. After Sanchez suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in a pre-season game against the New York Giants, Smith was thrust into the starting role.
In his rookie season, Smith had glimpses of his potential, while also struggling at times. Smith started all 16 games, going 8-8, throwing for 12 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. The Jets’ off-season additions of running back Chris Johnson and wide receiver Eric Decker didn’t do much to help the Jets in 2014. Smith regressed, having the worst games of his career in week 5 against the San Diego Chargers and then week 8 against the Buffalo Bills. He wound up being benched for Michael Vick for the next three games before Rex Ryan went back to Smith, with the Jets finishing out 2014 going 4-12, resulting in Rex Ryan and John Idzik being fired.
What was interesting about the end of his sophomore season was the Week 17 finale against the Miami Dolphins. In this game, Geno Smith’s potential as a premier quarterback in the league was on display, as he completed 20 of 25 passes for 358 yards, threw for 3 touchdowns with 0 interceptions, and posted a perfect passer rating of 158.3.
Heading into the 2015 season under head coach Todd Bowles, Smith was looked at as the definitive starter. Unfortunately, a locker room incident with linebacker IK Enemkpali, where he punched Smith in the jaw, breaking it into two places, sidelined him for 6-10 weeks, leaving Ryan Fitzpatrick to take over. As a result, Fitzpatrick was caught in a lightning bolt for the Jets, leading them to a 10-6 record the whole season, leading Smith to the bench.
In 2016, as Fitzpatrick struggled early on, Bowles made the move to Geno Smith as he got one last opportunity to prove himself in the last year of his rookie contract. Unfortunately, in his first start of the season against the Baltimore Ravens, Smith tore his ACL, ultimately ending his season and his first tenure with the Jets.
Looking back at Smith’s first tenure with the Jets, it’s seen as one where Smith was doomed from day one. As he wasn’t surrounded by the right coaching or players to help him succeed, he failed to develop in the NFL. Leading to Smith struggling with decision-making and high turnover rates. Smith didn’t help on his part with his maturity issues, but either way, this was just a failed tenure from the start. Many fans now saw Geno Smith as another failed quarterback experiment by the franchise.
After leaving the Jets in free agency, many wrote off Geno Smith. Nobody really thought he would ever get another opportunity as a starter in the league. Smith would bounce around different teams in the league. First stop with the Giants, learning behind Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning. He was put into the spotlight when Ben McAdoo controversially benched Eli, ending his 210-consecutive-games-starting streak, in favor of Geno Smith. Wasn’t a move based on Geno Smith, but the disrespect in benching Eli caused the controversy. Smith made history as the first African-American quarterback to start for both the Giants and the Jets.
Learning under Eli helped Geno as he was able to see what it’s like for an athlete, especially at quarterback, to handle the media pressure of the New York Market, along with what it takes to sustain a long career in the league.
After the Giants, Smith signed with the Los Angeles Chargers for a one-year contract for the veteran minimum. Smith would sit behind quarterback Philip Rivers, where he learned what it was like to play quarterback in the league. While observing Philip Rivers, Smith saw how Rivers prepared like a starting quarterback in the league. In his lone year with the Chargers, Smith studied how Rivers processed defenses, adjusted formations, and made split-second reads at the line of scrimmage, which enhanced Smith’s cerebral approach to the game.
The Seattle Seahawks signed Smith to a one-year deal and wound up being their backup for three seasons before taking over as the starting quarterback in 2022. As a backup, Smith learned from Russell Wilson’s legendary work ethic, which helped him prepare to mature as an athlete and person; Wilson’s relentless fire and meticulous daily routine showed Smith what it’s like to lead a locker room.
When Russell Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos in the 2022 off-season, Smith would find his way in a competition for the Seahawks’ starting quarterback job against Drew Lock. Due to Smith already knowing the offense, chemistry with the receivers, and taking the vast majority of first-team reps, Smith won the job. The reaction was largely a mix of surprise, skepticism, and fan concern, as many viewed Smith as a career backup and wouldn’t be able to lead the Seahawks to victory.
In his first game with the Seahawks, Smith led the Seahawks to a 17-16 upset victory over the Broncos in a Monday night showdown. Smith completed 23 of his 28 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns, with a passer rating of 119.5. Smith put the league on notice in this game as he proved he’s capable of leading a team to victory. The game is also famous for Geno’s signature postgame interview, where he stated to all the haters, “They wrote me off, I ain’t write back though”.
His 2022 season was a redemption story for the ages, as he went on to lead the Seahawks to the playoffs with a 9-8 record. He threw for 4,282 passing yards (Franchise Record), 69.8% completion percentage (Franchise Record), with a 30/11 TD/INT ratio, and a 100.9 passer rating, which was 5th in the league. All leading to Smith winning comeback player of the year.
Smith wound up playing in Seattle for two more seasons before being traded to the Las Vegas Raiders, reuniting with Pete Carroll. Though it was thought to be a good marriage in Las Vegas, Smith’s lone season with the Raiders was an utter disaster. With a combination of a putrid offensive line, a disconnected coaching scheme, and Smith with his own struggles, as he had a 19/17 TD/INT ratio.
The Raiders wound up trading Smith to the New York Jets, where he enters his second tenure. Both the Jets and Smith will be looking to make things right with each other. This time around, Smith seems to be a more polished quarterback who has matured into a leader that the Jets need in the locker room. As for the Jets, they’re more set up roster-wise with more talent than they did when Smith was a rookie. The coaching is still a question mark, but the Jets have a more experienced staff around Geno who will get the best out of his skill set.
Smith is surrounded by phenomenal talent all around the offense. The running back room is led by Breece Hall, along with Braleon Allen and Isiah Davis. Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou are elite tackles that will protect Geno’s blindside. Smith will have plenty of options to throw to, such as Garret Wilson, who’s an elite player, as well as AD Mitchell, who is an under-the-radar wide receiver, and has two great tight ends in Mason Taylor and rookie Kenyon Sadiq.
In terms of coaching, Smith should thrive under Frank Reich’s offense. Reich’s offense uses many controlled, short-to-intermediate passing concepts that allow quarterbacks to process quickly and throw with anticipation. This is the environment where Smith thrived during his Pro Bowl seasons in Seattle. Smith had a difficult, turnover-heavy campaign in Las Vegas. Reich views Smith as the “Perfect fit” for his offense, viewing this as a fresh start designed to maximize his veteran experience and toughness, and let’s not forget about Smith’s deep ball. Glenn and Reich are committed to establishing the running game, which will help take pressure off Smith.
Smith should have no reason not to succeed here in New York the second time around. This time around, compared to when he was a rookie, Smith has grown into a mature person who can command a locker room and has shown what it takes to lead at quarterback. He’s more polished at the position, and taking the time to learn from quarterbacks like Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, and Russell Wilson will benefit anyone. It’s shown in his Pro Bowl seasons in Seattle what his potential looks like.
This Geno Smith and New York Jets reunion has the potential to do wonders for both sides. Aaron Glenn is looking to get the Jets back to relevance and sees Smith as the leader this Jets team needs. Smith should thrive this time around, with an amazing supporting cast, an established offense, a coaching staff, and Smith’s familiarity with the New York market; the expectation should be that this reunion will work. What a comeback story this would be if Smith could lead the Jets to the playoffs for the first time since 2010.
author avatar