New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith was in Manhattan on Tuesday, distributing coats at a New York Cares coat drive.
It is admirable work and something he should absolutely be commended for. But, as it is with any athlete, questions from the assembled media quickly turned to football and Smith's currently precarious position with the team.
Smith, when asked about his thoughts on his and the Jets future, didn't bat an eye.
"I've shown flashes of being a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback, but what we're looking for here is consistency. The best teams have consistent quarterback play and I realize that and that's truly what I want to show to the fans and everyone outside the building," Smith said, per Mark Herrmann of Newsday.com.
Well, Geno, it's nice to see that despite all the losses and interceptions and the constant talk of your coach being fired you haven't lost your sense of humor.
Wait, he was being serious?
Well, then.
"It's almost exciting to think about all the room for improvement that we have," Smith continued. "But at the same time, we've got to really hone in on the 'right now.' "
The 'right now' for Smith involves leading his highly dysfunctional 2-11 Jets against a just as awful, but less toxic, 2-11 Tennessee Titans team on Sunday. A game that, above all else, will give general manager John Idzik a continued glimpse at those supposedly "Pro Bowl-caliber" talents of Smiths and help him determine if selecting a quarterback - Marcus Mariota, perhaps? - highly in next year's draft is the first step he'll need to take in order to turn the franchises fortunes around.
Smith, though he hears the negative talk, remains undaunted.
"I feel like I have the tools, I have what it takes to be that. Those are always my goals. I always set the bar high for myself, but I do realize that I've been inconsistent and I've had my struggles at times as well," Smith told Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday.com today.
" . . . I believe in myself [and] that I'll be more of the guy that you see doing well rather than the guy who struggles at times.''
"At times" doesn't exactly fit the description of Smith's season to this point, but you can't blame him for attempting to remain confident. Still, there's almost no chance he'll continue to be looked at as the future by the Jets.
Just don't try to tell him that.
"If anyone wants to know if I'm the future or the franchise [quarterback],'' he said, "you can just look at the way I've handled myself in the face of adversity.''
We are Geno. And it's exactly why no one thinks you'll last in New York.
