In a flash, the Jets have lost their No. 1 quarterback Geno Smith for 6-10 weeks, while simultaneously releasing linebacker IK Enemkpali right into the Buffalo Bills’ hands on Wednesday.
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As for joining his new team, the Buffalo Bills, on Thursday, Enemkpali said he’s grateful for a second chance a day after being claimed off waivers.
Though he never mentioned Smith by name, Enemkpali apologized to the Jets team, his former teammates and fans. “Like I said, what happens in New York happened there”.
It shouldve never happened. I thought he was really going to have a good year. “It was never my intention to hurt anybody”, Enemkpali said. Enemkpali was taken in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Louisiana Tech and only amassed three tackles while seeing limited time on defense and special teams.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini wonders about Smith’s career, given that even though he shouldn’t have been punched, the quarterback was, as coach Todd Bowles put it, “childish” to have been in the fight.
“I want to thank everybody for being here today”, Enemkpali said. I look forward to being a good teammate, an accountable player, and an accountable teammate to this organization. Nothing justifies hitting somebody and all that stuff. “Shortly after getting the Bills job, he wondered out loud to friends whether the Jets would be open to trading Smith to Buffalo”.
The NFL is reviewing the incident and Enemkpali could possible face penalties. The Jets did the proper thing by promptly releasing him. “He couldn’t [move on].”The Daily News’ source said that Smith “pointed/touched [Enemkpali’s] face”, with another source saying, “Geno deserved it”.
Smith apparently promised to pay linebacker IK Enemkpali 0 for an unused plane ticket after he skipped out on Enemkpali’s charity camp.
Bills players also backed up the decision, with running back Fred Jackson telling the team website that Enemkpali has “a clean slate with us”.
Unlike most people, Richardson doesn’t think his former coach was simply tweaking the Jets with his addition of Enemkpali. “We’ll see how everything works out, but I’m excited to have him”, Jackson said.
“I’m not going to say he’s totally wrong or anything like that, because I don’t know the circumstances”, Williams said.
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“I think it’s clear (punching Smith) was a mistake”. “We are trying to get better and that’s what those guys are doing”.
