Geno Smith’s return to the Jets has not exactly silenced the noise around New York’s quarterback situation. If anything, it has sharpened the debate.
The Jets have already made their choice for Week 1, confirming months ago that Smith will start against the Titans. They also moved on from Justin Fields, who is now in Kansas City, while Tyrod Taylor has headed to the Packers. On paper, that leaves Smith as the clear centerpiece of the room after a rough year with the Raiders.
Still, not everyone is buying the optimism. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox labeled the Jets’ quarterback group their biggest weakness, pointing to the depth chart behind Smith.
“Behind Smith, the Jets have Bailey Zappe, Brady Cook, and rookie fourth-round pick Cade Klubnik,” Knox said. “It is not a group that should inspire confidence in Jets fans.”
That’s a fair shot at the depth, but it also feels like an easy place to land when the conversation turns to the Jets. The team itself has spent years inviting skepticism, so quarterback becomes the obvious target.
The broader list Knox put together included the Browns, Cardinals, Falcons and Jets as the league’s weakest quarterback situations. But there’s a strong case that the Browns stand alone in that category. Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew look a lot more stable than Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson.
For New York, the bigger point is that Smith is not being asked to be an MVP candidate. He doesn’t have to become the next Kurt Warner for this to work. What he does give the Jets is a durable veteran with real starting experience, which already changes the conversation.
That’s why quarterback feels less like the Jets’ worst problem and more like one of the few spots where they can at least point to a proven name. If there’s a more obvious concern, it may be kicker, especially with Jason Sanders’ unexpected arrival. The Giants cut Sanders during offseason workouts, less than three months after guaranteeing him only $300,000, and the Jets are left hoping there’s still something there.
None of that means the Jets suddenly have a settled, comfortable roster. It does mean the reflex to treat quarterback as their biggest flaw may be missing the point. Smith may not be “the guy” or the long-term answer, but the Jets are still chasing nine wins any way they can after more than a decade without a winning season.
And that’s the reality they have to live with in East Rutherford.
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Jets May Finally Have The Olu Fashanu Breakthrough They Needed
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Fashanus next step is less about surviving on the edge and more about bringing more force to the run game, where the Jets want to see his blocking translate into real movement. If the added mass helps him play with more power at the point of attack, it could make him a more complete tackle and give this offense a better chance to lean on him in the way it has been hoping to. [Read more 🡒]