Even before Geno Smith suffered a broken jaw as a result of a fight with a teammate the other day, the New York Jets weren't expecting much from the 2013 second-round pick. In 30 career games Smith has thrown 34 interceptions. He hasn't cracked a 60 percent completion rate during his two seasons as starter and the Jets have ranked 22nd and 25th in offense during that time.
This latest incident may have been the last straw. Speaking about New York's preseason debut last night, ESPN Jets reporter Rich Cimini had this to say:
"It was their first chance to play with Ryan Fitzpatrick, their new quarterback, and you got the distinct impression in the locker room that the Jets moved on from Geno Smith. And there were no tears.
"Smith's credibility among his teammates took a big hit (no pun intended) Tuesday, when he got slugged in the jaw by now-former teammate IK Enemkpali. Failing to recognize his role as the team later, Smith put himself in a bad spot by getting into a petty spat with Enemkpali over $600. No one deserves a broken jaw, but his involvement in a 'very childish' altercation (Todd Bowles' description) reflects poorly on the quarterback.
"Smith, recovering from surgery, could be done with the Jets as a starter."
Smith has never been able to fully harness his immense physical gifts in the NFL. As a result, the Jets were already being linked to QB prospects such as Cardale Jones, Christian Hackenberg and Connor Cook in the 2016 NFL Draft. It would have taken a Herculean effort by Smith this year to remain the starter past 2015. No one in the Jets locker room appears to be too phased by the recent development.
"I'm just moving forward," Brandon Marshall said. "I think the whole team is moving forward. I think you'll hear that echoed throughout this locker room. It's time for us to move forward and play ball."
Fitzpatrick, 32, will be starting for his sixth team now. He's no one's idea of a franchise quarterback, but he was adequate for the Houston Texans last year. Adequate would be a step up from what the Jets are used to.
