Smith sees a chance to ‘make things right’ as a better quarterback
Former Mountaineer makes unlikely return to New York Jets
Trending
(AP) -- Geno Smith walked out of the New York Jets' facility for the final time after the 2016 season feeling as though he left behind unfinished business.
A long, winding and sometimes strange NFL journey for the now 35-year-old quarterback has him back in the building.
"I don't think anyone could have imagined that, honestly," Smith said in a video call with reporters Thursday. "But that's the beauty of life itself. I mean, I make plans all the time and rarely do they go exactly as I planned."
Smith was acquired from Las Vegas along with a seventh-round draft pick on Tuesday in exchange for a sixth-rounder, reuniting him with the team that drafted him in the second round in 2013.
"My goal was to play my entire career for the Jets and one day retire as a Jet," Smith said. "And just to come back now, to have an opportunity to continue to play this game that I love so much and to be a part of that organization again, the organization that gave me a chance coming out of West Virginia and really believed in me. And although it didn't go exactly as planned, somehow, someway we got back here.
"And I'm eager to kind of make things right if I can."
Saying he's "extremely confident, but not arrogant," Smith also thinks he's more than just a one-year placeholder for the Jets' next future franchise quarterback.
"I believe I still have room to grow," he said. "I believe I still have a ton of years left on my body to play this game and I want to continue to try to maximize it. So, I believe the Jets are getting a better player than I was in Seattle. I know that for a fact."
Smith first came to New York as a big-armed thrower who was thrust into the starter role as a rookie after incumbent Mark Sanchez injured a shoulder in a preseason game. There were some bright moments and solid performances. But there were also plenty of struggles that cast doubt on whether the player the Jets hoped would be their face of the franchise would become a consistent NFL starter.
Then came a locker room dispute during training camp in 2015, when his jaw was broken by a punch from teammate IK Enemkpali. Ryan Fitzpatrick took over as the starter and kept the job for most of the next two seasons.
And Smith was gone in 2017.
One-year stints as a backup with the Giants and Chargers followed. In 2019, he joined Seattle to sit behind Russell Wilson. Three years later, he became the Seahawks' starter