New York Jets: Poor Geno Smith Loses Again
Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick re-signed with the New York Jets, which essentially buries Geno Smith for another year. Is it all his fault?
It’s seldom we feel sorry for millionaires paid to play a sport, but New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith‘s situation fits the bill.
Smith dug his own hole at times, but he lost his job in an unnecessary incident at the wrong time.
With quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick agreeing to terms on a one-year pact worth $12 million with the team, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Smith will return to his backup role.
Unfortunately for Smith, he enters the final year on his rookie deal, which means his career with the Jets will probably end in the offseason. To make matters worse, he won’t have an opportunity to showcase his skills on the field for potential suitors in the next offseason. .
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None of this happens without Buffalo Bills linebacker IK Enemkpali breaking Smith’s jaw last offseason. Fitzpatrick simply took advantage of a rare opportunity to extend his career in its late stages.
Smith lost credibility, his starting job and a chance at earning borderline starter money on the free-agent market in 2017.
Let’s look back at Smith’s rookie year. He played under former head coach Rex Ryan, who isn’t considered a quarterback developer. He leans heavily on a ground-and-pound attack to move the ball, which became evident in his early seasons with the Jets and now the Bills.
Like most rookies, Smith struggled in his first year during the 2013 season. He threw 12 touchdown passes, 21 interceptions and accumulated 3,046 passing yards in 16 starts. In that season, wideout Jeremy Kerley, who’s nothing more than a No. 3 receiver on any NFL team, led the team in receptions (43) and yards (523).
In the following year, former general manager John Idzik failed to restock the secondary, which turned into a complete disaster for the Jets.
Most people knew the front office would fire Ryan in the subsequent offseason. His aggressive defensive schemes failed without a solid tandem at cornerback. He needed to convert safety Antonio Allen to an outside defender to duct tape the pass defense together.
Ultimately, the team around Smith fell apart completely. By midseason, Ryan and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg barely allowed Smith to throw the ball downfield.
New York started the 2014 season with a 1-8 record, prompting Idzik to hold a midseason press conference to explain what went wrong and team’s future. The Jets finished the year 4-12 and cleaned house. Idzik and Ryan lost their jobs.
We shouldn’t absolve Smith of poor judgment, which contributed to losing the starting position, but his supporting cast didn’t exactly amount to the Jets’ current roster.
Though it’s Smith’s leadership issues that promoted Fitzpatrick into the starting spot, the journeyman quarterback stepped into a favorable situation. David Nelson, Bilal Powell and part-time wideout Percy Harvin didn’t rank as Fitzpatrick’s primary passing targets. The Jets signed wideout Brandon Marshall to start opposite Eric Decker in his second year with the team.
With a solid wide receiver tandem, Fitzpatrick logged career numbers. He didn’t become an upper echelon quarterback overnight. General manager Mike Maccagnan stocked the roster with playmakers on both sides of the ball.
In addition to Marshall, the Jets signed four defensive backs, including cornerback Darrelle Revis to revamp the secondary. New York finished the 2015 season with a top-10 defense—something Smith didn’t see as a starter—even with Ryan’s respected defensive mind.
With Fitzpatrick rejoining the team, excited fans fail to see the Jets’ success boils down to the collective roster as opposed to the quarterback under center.
Let’s not pretend Fitzpatrick brought a winning mentality to New York. He never recorded a winning season as the starting signal-caller before his breakout season with the Jets. As a result, he’s never been to the postseason and floated around the league for a decade prior to signing with Gang Green.
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We can only speculate about Smith’s possible numbers with the same weapons or the current roster. After two poor seasons, he’ll likely test free agency without an opportunity to put everything together in a pivotal third year as a starter.
Jets’ fans should praise Maccagnan for putting together a competitive roster that elevates the perception of a mediocre quarterback position. There’s no doubt Fitzpatrick’s return provides the best opportunity to win now, but he’s not the most important piece to a potential playoff team, and Smith isn’t a complete bum.