Two years in the past, Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith helped eradicate the Jets from playoff competition.
On Sunday, Smith will face the Jets at MetLife Stadium for the primary time since he left the franchise after the 2016 season.
“I’ve always had tremendous love and respect for that organization,” Smith stated Wednesday throughout his weekly press availability. “Clearly, the crew that drafted me gave me an opportunity out of the gate.
“A lot of great people there, some people that I was there with, a lot of those people are now gone. So, as far as the whole revenge thing, that’s not on my mind. Like I said, man, there’s a lot of great people in that city that I still talk to and I still love and still support me and so it’s the biggest game of the year because it’s the next game. But obviously, because I was drafted there, it’s going to be a narrative that’s built.”
Smith’s tenure with the Jets will be described as an unmitigated catastrophe. The Jets chosen Smith with their second-round choose within the 2013 NFL Draft.
In 30 video games for Gang Inexperienced, Smith handed for five,962 yards, 28 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. The Jets had been 12-18 in video games Smith began.
Smith’s last begin for the Jets got here within the 2014 season finale victory towards the Dolphins. In that recreation, he registered an ideal 158.3 quarterback score after finishing 20 of 25 passes for 358 yards and three touchdowns.
However Smith’s tenure with the Jets will probably be remembered for its dramatic ending. He performed only one recreation in 2015 after IK Enemkpali broke his jaw in a preseason locker room quarrel, which led to Ryan Fitzpatrick changing into the Jets beginning quarterback.
Smith by no means regained his beginning job and left the Jets to develop into the Giants and Chargers backup quarterback earlier than signing with the Seahawks in 2019 to be Russell Wilson‘s backup.
Since leaving the Meadowlands in 2018, Smith has develop into a a lot totally different quarterback. When Wilson was traded to the Broncos in 2022, Smith grew to become the Seahawks starter, main them to the playoffs after the crew completed 9-8. Smith was additionally named Comeback Participant of the 12 months by the Related Press and the Professional Soccer Writers of America and was named to his first Professional Bowl crew after passing for 4,282 yards, 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Final season, Smith was named to his second Professional Bowl after throwing for 3,624 yards, 20 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.
However this 12 months, Smith has struggled with turnovers, which have harm the Seahawks in essential moments. In 11 video games, Smith, 34, has handed for 3,035 yards, 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
“I don’t know what not to say about him, he’s got excellent mobility,” Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich stated about Smith. “He’s killing folks together with his ft at occasions, he’s received the flexibility to increase performs, he’s far more athletic than you suppose when he strikes round, and he makes the off-platform stuff go.
“He can make every throw, and he’s taking advantage of his arm strength, whether it’s the double moves to [DK] Metcalf, or it’s the cuts to the rest of their guys, they do a lot of really cool stuff that takes advantage of his skillset, so he’s going to be a great challenge for us, and he’s really starting to thrive in this college-esque offense, where they’re going fast, and they’re at the line of scrimmage and he’s able to really run the show.”
Though Smith stated all the fitting issues concerning the Jets throughout his press convention this week, his redemption story can develop into full circle if he and the Seahawks (6-5) can defeat the Jets (3-8) and proceed to ship them additional in a darkish abyss.
Gang Inexperienced will enter Sunday’s recreation, dropping seven of its final eight video games. Throughout that stretch, Jets proprietor Woody Johnson fired coach Robert Saleh and basic supervisor Joe Douglas. Ulbrich additionally demoted offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett from his play-calling duties, however the losses have continued to mount.
Due to that, there has additionally been hypothesis on the crew’s future, together with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, following a disappointing season that started with Tremendous Bowl aspirations. Rodgers has struggled with accidents, declining accuracy and mobility. With a brand new teaching workers and basic supervisor coming in subsequent season, they might transfer in a special route at quarterback.
In 11 video games, Rodgers has handed for two,442 yards, 17 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. This week, Rodgers, 40, was absent from the Jets harm report for the primary time in almost two months after coping with ankle, knee and hamstring accidents since Week 4’s loss to the Broncos.
With the Jets on their solution to lacking the playoffs for the 14th consecutive season, the ultimate six video games might go a great distance in figuring out Rodgers’ future. On “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday, Rodgers stated if he does resolve to play soccer in 2025, his first alternative could be to stay with the Jets.
“I mean, every game is important,” Rodgers stated Wednesday. “I’m going to take pleasure in them, clearly the longer term is unknown for lots of us, however yeah, I’ve plenty of delight on this recreation. Once I take the sphere, after I go to observe, so I’ll be enthusiastic about being on the market with the fellows and end off robust.
“When you win, everything’s better, so if we win this one, things are going to get better, and get the next one, things will feel better, but this is the hardest part at this point in the season when things have been slipping away the last few weeks. This comes down to guys being motivated, you can inspire guys, Brick [Ulbrich] can put up a great quote, or give us a great message, or we can have a great talk Saturday night, but in the end, it comes down to guys being motivated individually, and then just wanting to play for something bigger than themselves.”
