Geno Smith, as shocking as this may sound, actually could be a trade target for some quarterback-needy National Football League teams in the near future.
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Fitzpatrick replaced Geno Smith – who broke his jaw in a training camp scuffle – and led the Jets to a 10-6 record, their first 10 win season since 2010.
But now it appears the Gang Green head coach has settled the apparent position battle.
One day after suggesting he might use Smith as one of three quarterbacks against the Philadelphia Eagles, Jets coach Todd Bowles announced Tuesday it’ll be Bryce Petty and rookie Christian Hackenberg on Thursday night.
Over the weekend, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reported that the Jets have fielded calls about Smith’s availability via trade. “I want to see the other two guys play a full amount of time, so this will be a ideal opportunity to do it”.
“We know what Geno is”, Bowles said.
For a short time this off-season, it looked like Smith was on the path to be the starter once again in NY as Fitzpatrick and the Jets couldn’t agree on a new deal. Bowles said he made the decision to sit Smith for Thursday after Saturday’s game. It might be four spots, but no team has opened the season with four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster since 2013.
Break out the tea leaves, and let’s start reading.
“I always say that a starting quarterback needs to have solid support around him, not only on the field of play with his other offensive players”, Esiason said. “We’re just going to try to keep getting him better week by week”. “I’ll be able to go back and reflect on those plays where we’re playing against another defense – not just ourselves – so I think that is something that will be a really good tool for me moving forward”.
So there are obviously teams that could benefit from adding another quarterback to their roster. With Petty and Hackenberg having zero game snaps in the regular season, the team isn’t comfortable throwing them out there and 1) watching the season implode and 2) perhaps setting them back in development against a very tough schedule. Not only do they get two late season contests against the mighty New England Patriots (with Tom Brady), but their first half of the season includes games against the Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals. The 24-year-old improved considerably last year racking up 69 tackles, six pass deflections, two interceptions and a forced fumble.
Being buried behind three other quarterbacks can’t be easy. Nobody gets any reps and atrophy sets in.
“It was sweet”, Hackenberg said after the game.
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“You look at the situation down in Dallas right now, you’re two snaps or three snaps away from playing”, Hackenberg said.
