As inconceivable as it may be to Las Vegas Raiders fans, there’s still interest in quarterback Geno Smith around the league. The Minnesota Vikings were rumored to be sniffing around about a possible trade for Smith a week or two ago, but Smith’s lack of value led to his release this week by the Raiders
Now there’s another possibility, and it’s a wild one, truly. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk via Rich Cimini of ESPN, the New York Jets are rumored to have interest in their former quarterback.
There’s a lot of history here, and most of it isn’t good. The Jets selected Smith in the second round of the draft back in 2013, but the experience was something of a disappointment, to say the least.
Most Jets fans grimace when reminded of the Geno Smith experience, but that’s the reaction of Jets fans with most of the quarterbacks the team has had since Joe Namath was under center.
According to Cimini, the Jets had “high grades” on Smith coming off his experience with the Seattle Seahawks, although it’s fair to wonder if those grades came from the teenage sons of owner Woody Johnson, who were rumored to be using Madden grades to help run the team back when Aaron Rodgers was the quarterback.
Florio also reviewed some of the history in his write-up. Smith’s stint as starter ended in 2015, when Smith suffered a broken jaw after being sucker-punched in the Jets locker room by IK Enemkpali.
Smith remained on the roster through 2016, then began his itinerary as a journeyman, landing with the New York Giants, Los Angeles Chargers and finally the Seahawks before the Raiders decided he was worth a trade that included a third-round pick.
Part of the reason for the Jets interest in Smith is that he could come cheap. He’s owed $18.5 million by the Raiders this season , and another $8 million in injury protection money vests this week, according to Florio, so Smith could be willing to play for the veteran minimum or something close to it.
Another reason the Jets could be interested in Smith is that they spent last season with Justin Fields as their quarterback, and Fields was even worse. The Jets had virtually no passing game for much of the season with Fields, while Smith has proven that he can be productive at times when he’s in the right system and protected properly.
But Smith got the snot beat out of him behind the Raiders leaky offensive line last year, so he may not want to repeat the experience with the Jets. It’s an unlikely possibility, but this is the Jets were talking about here, so it can’t be ruled out.