The New York Jets might not be a playoff team next season, but it would be hard to have a worse year than 2025. The squad went 3-14 and became the first team to have no interceptions on defense since the stat was first recorded in 1933.
The Jets have made additions on both sides of the ball since then, including veteran quarterback Geno Smith. New York drafted the former West Virginia Mountaineer in the second round in 2013, and he threw 25 touchdowns against 34 interceptions over his first two seasons before missing time with a fractured jaw the following year. Ryan Fitzpatrick took over the starting role and led the team to a 10-6 record, and it has only had losing seasons ever since.
Smith then tore his ACL in 2016 and left the team the following offseason, but he's now back after it acquired him from the Las Vegas Raiders in March. Jets head coach Aaron Glenn shared a confident take about the 35-year-old on Tuesday, via SNY.
"There's something about a quarterback with a chip on his shoulder...He's proven a lot in this league with what he's done," he said. "Especially the time when he was in Seattle. He fits exactly what we're trying to do. Obviously, we've created an identity. The foundation of our offense is pretty good. I feel like he's the guy that's going to lead us to the promised land."
Will Jets Take a Quarterback Early in Draft?
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Smith took backup roles with the New York Giants, Los Angeles Chargers, and Seattle Seahawks over the following seasons before getting the starting role with the latter team in 2022. The 6-foot-3, 221-pounder turned his career around, as he had two seasons with 4,000-plus passing yards across the next three years and totaled 71 touchdowns against 35 interceptions during that time.
Seattle then traded Smith to the Raiders in 2025, and he tossed 19 touchdowns against a league-high 17 picks. However, Glenn still thinks the Florida native can find success with the Jets.
Their selections in the upcoming NFL Draft will show how much they believe in Smith. If they take a quarteback like Alabama's Ty Simpson or LSU's Garrett Nussmeier in the first two days, they might be less inclined to start Smith for the whole season. But if they use their first few picks on non-quarterbacks, the veteran will have little competition for his role.
The draft will be held from April 23 to 25. The Jets have two picks in the first round (Nos. 2 and 16), two in the second (No. 33 and 44), and two in the fourth (Nos. 103 and 140).
