John Idzik said all the right things about Geno Smith.
During quarterback Geno Smith's first stint with the New York Jets, nothing really went as planned.
Smith, now a longtime veteran, couldn't get his feet under him in a Jets jersey.
He played in just a few seasons for New York, ultimately being moved on from after the fourth year. The Jets did what they had to do, and Smith eventually found his way in the NFL as a backup.
Eventually becoming a starter again during the 2022 season after failing to be one since 2014, Smith showed resilience and got things back on track.
He wasn't a below-average player, either, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2022 and 2023.
As for why he might have struggled with the Jets the first time around, there were many factors. Being a young kid, with Smith being just 23 in his rookie season, it's not easy to play for such a demanding fan base like the Jets.
The Jets' former general manager during Smith's time recently said it's not surprising to see Smith find the success he has now, but it's also not surprising to understand why he struggled back then.
“Think about it: Here’s a kid coming from West Virginia, all of a sudden he’s thrust into the media capital of the world — he’s the starter from Day 1,” ex Jets GM John Idzik said, per The Athletic.
“For him to go through what he did there and then spend the next six years as a backup for four different clubs, come back and lead a club to the playoffs — it was remarkable. Was I surprised? No. Knowing Geno, he’s got both a mental and physical toughness about him. And let’s face it, he took advantage of those years having been behind the likes of Eli and Phillip Rivers and Russ in his heyday.
“You could see that in his play too. He’s much more patient, not forcing the ball as much. He has much better situational awareness, manages games well, but he still has that arm talent that attracted you to him back in 2013.”
There are so many factors at play in why Smith is playing much better football right now, and the harsh reality is that the Jets weren't that good back in 2013 and 2014.
Not that much has changed since, at least in terms of wins and losses, but the Jets are a much better team. Smith is also improved at this stage of his career, so it's a perfect pairing.
