The New York Jets are entering the 2026 NFL season with a lot of changes on both sides of the ball. After a nightmare 2025 season, the Jets have revamped the defense and improved the offense.
One of the biggest moves of the offseason happened at quarterback, with the trade for Geno Smith from the Las Vegas Raiders. He is their new starting QB for the 2026 season, and it's going to be a massive one for Smith.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic named Smith as the player with the most on the line in 2026, and for good reason. This might be the last chance Smith gets to be a starting QB in the NFL in his career.
2026 might be Geno Smith's last chance to be a starting QB in the NFL
"If Smith can play the way he did at his best in Seattle, he can extend his career as a starter for another couple of seasons - maybe even as a bridge for the Jets in 2027," Rosenblatt writes. "If he plays as he did in Las Vegas last year, this might be his last shot as a starting quarterback in the NFL."
Smith is 35 years old and will turn 36 on October 10. He's been in the NFL since the 2013 season, when the Jets took him No. 39 overall in the second round, and he's had a very interesting career.
It didn't work out with the Jets, but he found his footing with the Seattle Seahawks, going 28-24 in five seasons, throwing for a 68.5% completion rate and 12,961 yards passing on 1,749 attempts with 76 touchdowns and 36 interceptions.
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He had a 95.9 passer rating with the Seahawks, proving he was a solid starting QB in the NFL. He earned two Pro Bowl nods and a Comeback Player of the Year award in 2022.
But, with the Raiders, he went 2-13 with a 67.4% completion rate with 3,025 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, but an NFL-worst 17 interceptions, and an 84.7 passer rating and 34.1 QBR.
While it was better statistically than his early-career seasons, Smith took a massive step back in 2025. Now, heading into 2026 with the Jets, this is likely his last chance to prove he can be a starting QB in the NFL.
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If he plays well, he could earn one more contract as a bridge QB for the Jets or some other franchise. But, if he struggles, Smith might be relegated to a backup QB at-best.
While players like Adonai Mitchell, Will McDonald, and both young offensive tackles have a lot on the line in 2026, no one can compare to the massive difference in future outcomes for Smith depending on how he plays in 2026.
Geno Smith is playing for his NFL career in 2026 for the Jets, as a rebound season could keep his career alive, while another rough year could have him out of a starting job for the rest of his NFL career.
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