The New York Jets have a quarterback problem, and they've chosen Geno Smith as the solution.
The New York Jets have a quarterback problem, and they think Geno Smith is the answer. That sentence speaks for itself, and Las Vegas Raiders fans with any kind a sense of humor have to at least be smirking after reading it.
Jets Coach Aaron Glenn has looked completely overmatched by the job so far, which is understandable given that he just suffered through a season of watching Justin Fields as his primary quarterback.
As a result, the Jets traded for Smith, which is a classic football example of jumping from the fire to frying pan. But that’s not stopping Glenn from being optimistic, as his quotes from the spring meetings showed in a piece written by Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk.
Glenn started by saying he believes “there’s something about a quarterback with a chip on his shoulder” as he began talking about Smith’s ability to bounce back from his dreadful year with the Raiders. He then said that Smith “fits exactly what we’re trying to do” and that he has high hopes for what Smith will do now that the “foundation of our offense” is in place.
That’s a pretty deep hole, but Glenn kept digging.
“I just feel like he’s the guy who’s gonna lead us to the promised land,” Glenn said.
The Jets coach has to know at some level that the “promised land” is the unemployment line. He almost made it there last season due to his team’s ineptness, but Glenn was given a second year based on the fact that he inherited an awful roster.
Now he’s got an awful quarterback to go with it, while Raiders fans can at least breathe a sigh of relief that Smith’s gone, especially given that he flipped off fans while leaving the field after a loss last year. It's hard not to imagine something similar happening with Smith this season, but at least the Vegas faithful won't have to watch.
The Raiders have moved on completely. They have the top pick in the upcoming draft in hand, which means they get to add quarterback Fernando Mendoza as their franchise QB of the future. They also signed veteran retread Kirk Cousins to mentor Mendoza and possibly start in Week 1.
That at least constitutes a genuine plan, which the Jets don’t have right now. In today’s NFL, there’s bad, there’s awful and then there’s the New York Jets, and statements like Glenn’s explain why his team is in its own special category.