New York Jets: From Bad to Worse With Geno Smith Move
The New York Jets for some reason think Geno Smith can be an NFL quarterback despite years of evidence that he simply isn’t any good
New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith is in his fourth NFL season. He was drafted in the second round out of West Virginia in 2013. And he has never been able to secure the job as the starter for the team—until now.
In 29 starts he has 18 losses and has thrown 36 interceptions to just 21 touchdowns. He also has one of the worst completion percentages in the NFL at 57.9 percent.
In other words, he isn’t good. In fact, he is actually a very bad quarterback. So bad that the team had to draft young guys like Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg in recent years. They also dished out a hefty chunk of change to Ryan Fitzpatrick in order to keep Geno on the sidelines.
Now after a 1-5 start they have made another boneheaded move in turning to the less-than-average Smith. Why? Most say it’s because the team still needs to figure out what they have in Smith.
That is the most ridiculous thinking ever. If a player has gone four years and you don’t know if he is good or not, he isn’t. Smith has had his time, he stunk it up, and starting him is the worst move in the NFL by any team so far this season.
Now let’s be honest, Fitzpatrick had to go. He was playing awful and the team couldn’t win with him. Smith just wasn’t the answer. Instead, the Jets could have made this wasted season mean something. They should have turned to one of their young guys who have not yet played. They have a 25-year-old Bryce Petty and a 21-year-old Christian Hackenberg who may actually have futures, unlike Smith.
Those are the players the team needs to “find out about.” And Petty seems to be taking exception to the fact that he isn’t playing.
“To this point, I’ve been taking advantage of the checks,” Petty told the Daily News per Manish Mehta. “I want to contribute. I want to compete. But that’s everybody in this locker room. So, I just have to continue to get better and study that book and study the gameplans and be ready to rock n’ roll. That part hasn’t changed since Day One…. So, definitely, yeah, I’m ready to play.”
The Jets are a franchise that takes a lot of grief. Giving a guy four years to see if he can play is one reason why.
Look at rookies like Dak Prescott and Carson Wentz in Dallas and Philadelphia, respectively. Those two are starting and immediately look the part of legit quarterbacks. Both the Cowboys and Eagles know they have something to build on and it didn’t take four years to figure that out.
If a guy can play, it’s easy to see. If he can’t, it’s even easier to see. Smith falls in the latter group of players. The Jets need to turn to Petty now and see what he has. Every snap Geno takes is just another step in the wrong direction.
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