Geno Smith may be playing the best quarterback football the Jets have had in a while, but the league still isn’t treating him like it.
In FanSided’s latest quarterback rankings, the Jets veteran landed at No. 26 among NFL passers, a placement that feels especially jarring given what he’s done this season. New York has plenty of issues in 2026 - bad coaching, shaky special teams, and defensive problems among them - but Smith has not been one of them.
That’s what makes the ranking sting. Smith came into the year off a rough 2025 with the Las Vegas Raiders, yet he has stabilized the position for the Jets and is on pace for one of the franchise’s best quarterback seasons. For a team with a low historical standard at the position, that still matters.
He’s not flawless, and Jets fans know it. He can be slow to let it rip and tends to fold when pressure gets home.
But No. 26?
That’s a hard sell for a quarterback who has been one of the league’s most efficient players this season.
The numbers back that up. Smith ranks 10th in passing yards with 2,078, seventh in passer rating at 100.5, and fifth in completion percentage at 67.5%.
Pro Football Focus has him at 81.1, good for ninth in the NFL. He’s also produced 15 big-time throws against just six turnover-worthy plays, a strong sign that he’s been giving the Jets steady, dependable quarterback play.
Even with that production, he was ranked behind Michael Penix Jr., Tyler Shough, Bo Nix, and Baker Mayfield. That’s part of why the placement feels so off.
Yes, the Jets are 2-7, and Smith shares some blame for that record. But on individual performance alone, he’s been better than that ranking suggests.
FanSided did at least move him up from the preseason list, where he was slotted 32nd. Still, the jump to 26th barely scratches the surface of how much better he’s been in 2026.
At this point, the Jets are headed nowhere this season, and that’s clear through nine games. But Smith has done enough to create a real conversation about his future, including whether he should return in 2027 to help mentor New York’s next first-round quarterback.
If he keeps this up, he’ll have a strong case to be remembered as one of the better quarterback seasons in Jets history. And maybe next time these rankings come out, he’ll finally get the respect that matches the production.
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A key piece in that mix is Joseph Ossai, whose season has been interrupted by a foot injury and who has appeared in only three games so far. His expected return gives New York another edge option as it tries to stiffen up against Buffalo, and it adds a little more optimism to a defense that could use every available body for a tough divisional test. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Deadline Inaction Put Aaron Glenn At Center Of Everything
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It was a revealing choice because Glenn is already viewed as a coach under pressure, and the organizations patience appears tied to whether the roster can show progress without a major reset. The deadline passed without the kind of sell-off that often signals a longer rebuild, but the offseason could bring a very different conversation if the current plan does not produce enough traction. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Fans Now Face An Uncomfortable Geno Smith Question
Geno Smiths first season back in New York has been productive enough to keep the conversation going, even as the Jets record keeps the bigger picture uncomfortable. Nick Shook of NFL.com ranked Smith 15th among NFL quarterbacks heading into Week 10, a nod to a steady statistical profile that includes 2,078 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, three interceptions and a 67.5% completion rate.
The problem for the Jets is that solid quarterback play has not translated into wins, and a 2-6 start naturally pushes the focus beyond the present tense. Smiths job is not in danger right now, but the long-term question is starting to hover around rookie Cade Klubnik, whose presence gives the team a possible future pivot if this season keeps trending the wrong way. [Read more 🡒]