Hours after initially announcing that quarterback Geno Smith had his jaw broken by since-released linebacker IK Enemkpali, Jets coach Todd Bowles further elaborated on the incident that shocked the league on Tuesday. The source said Smith had not yet paid, and Enemkpali wanted his money. The blow resulted in multiple breaks in Smith’s jaw, which could make him a candidate for injured reserve with a return designation.
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Smith said “My only goal is to heal quickly and get back to playing with my teammates so I can be the best quarterback possible for the Jets”. “Geno and I let our frustration get the best of us, but I should have just walked away from the situation”.
“I apologize to the Jets organization, coaches, teammates and fans”, Enemkpali said in a statement.
Smith took to Instagram and posted a picture of himself sitting in a auto – mouth closed and looking stern – and a simple message: “ILL BE BACK”. “I deeply regret and apologize for my actions”. However, days before the camp, a person close to Smith was killed in a motorcycle accident in Miami and Smith did not attend Enemkpali’s camp, per sources.
Bowles wouldn’t go into detail about the nature of the altercation, except to say: “It was something very childish, that sixth-graders could have talked about”.
It turns out that Enemkpali was arrested in 2011, when he played for Louisiana Tech, on charges of battery on a police officer. It was never my intention to harm anyone. “We’re football players, not fighters”. This is not the first time Enemkpali, from Pflugerville, Texas, has been in trouble for fighting.
Jared Lorenzen, who spent some time in the NFL with the Giants, took the opportunity to tweet the Jets letting them know he’d be willing to suit up for some snaps via Twitter. At 19, while at a bar when he was at college at Louisiana Tech, a fight broke out and he punched an off-duty cop who was working security at the bar. Pepper spray and a Taser were used to take Enemkpali into custody.
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Most Jets fans don’t want Smith as their quarterback to begin with. The Jets had no comment when reached by CNN.
