The New York Jets may be sitting at 2-6, but that doesn’t mean Geno Smith is automatically headed out the door.
With the trade deadline here, the Jets have a few players who could make sense as moveable pieces. Smith, though, doesn’t appear to be one of them. That’s notable, because a team in this spot would usually at least consider cashing in on a veteran quarterback who has played well enough to draw interest.
Instead, the latest indication is that New York wants to keep Smith around, largely because of what he’s doing for the rest of the offense. His play has given the Jets something they’ve lacked in recent seasons: real evaluations of the young talent around him.
“On the day the Cardinals traded freshly benched Jacoby Brissett to the Ravens, the Jets are not in the mind to offload their veteran starter because Smith’s play is providing meaningful evaluations on Allen, Adonai Mitchell, Kenyon Sadiq and Omar Cooper Jr. It’s an ingredient that was missing last season when Justin Fields - who will be on the opposing sideline as the Chiefs backup quarterback - was under center…
“Fans are not invested in Smith when his replacement is likely coming through the 2027 draft, but teammates recognize this isn’t the usual 2-6 quarterback situation. Of course, if rookie Cade Klubnik eventually replaces Smith as losses mount, his record-setting pace will fall off,” Ryan Dunleavy wrote.
That’s the crux of it for New York. Smith has been an above-average quarterback again and, by the source’s account, has played as well as any Jets quarterback has in quite some time. The offense still hasn’t been great, but it has been better than usual, and Smith deserves a big share of that credit.
There’s also the practical side of it: unless another team comes with an offer the Jets simply can’t refuse, it makes sense why they’d prefer to keep him at MetLife. Even if the long-term future may point elsewhere, the current value of having Smith steer the offense is hard to ignore.
And if the goal is helping young players continue to develop, the Jets clearly believe Smith still has a role to play in that process.
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Aaron Glenns uncertain future has only sharpened the stakes, especially with questions around how he has used the defensive talent already on hand. The Jets do not want to strip away pieces that could matter to the next coaching staff, and that makes the deadline a tricky exercise in timing, value and patience rather than a simple buyer-or-seller call. [Read more 🡒]