Geno Smith believes the Jets are getting the best version of him — even better than the one who made two Pro Bowls with the Seahawks and threw for more than 4,000 yards twice.
“I’m a lot better than I was those years,” Smith said Thursday. “I believe that I still have room to grow. I believe that I still have a ton of years left on my body to play this game, and I want to try to continue to maximize them. … I believe the Jets are getting a better player than I was in Seattle. I know that for a fact.”
The Jets are banking on Smith being right. The team made a trade with the Raiders this week to bring back Smith after a 10-year absence.
The 35-year-old returns to the team that drafted him in 2013, hoping to break its streak of losing.
“We want to go out there and give our fans something to be proud of,” Smith said, “put a great product out on the field, be competitive, not just competitive, but win a lot of games and put ourselves into position to hoist that Lombardi at the end of the season. I think that’s what we all play for as competitors, and I know our fan base has been longing for that. If I can be the guy to get that done, that’s what I want to do. That’s the reason we play this game.”
Smith is coming off a rough season with the Raiders. The team went 3-14 and he threw a league-high 17 interceptions. He was also sacked 55 times, the most in the NFL.
Jets coach Aaron Glenn is coming off his own 3-14 season and needs to turn things around in 2026 to save his job. The quarterback options were not great this offseason, and the Jets zeroed in on Smith, who was expected to be released by Las Vegas.
Instead of waiting for that and possibly losing him, they traded a sixth-round pick to the Raiders in exchange for Smith and a seventh-round pick.
The Raiders are paying most of Smith’s salary, making him a bargain for the Jets at just over $3 million.
“Initially I was honored really for Coach Glenn and everyone over there to even consider me,” Smith said. “Obviously, there’s history being drafted by the Jets, but the first, initial thought was what an honor to be considered to be the quarterback of the Jets again and to walk back into that building.”
Smith returned to Florham Park to take a physical this week. He had a rocky first stint with the team, which most fans remember for a locker room altercation with a teammate over an unpaid debt that ended with Smith suffering a broken jaw.
Those certainly were not the memories Smith was focused on in his return. Thursday, Smith spoke about seeing some familiar faces and remembering good times he had with the Jets from 2013-16.
“It was so special,” Smith said. “It really felt like all those memories just kind of rushed back into my head, just the first time I walked into that building and really, it looks so much the same. It felt like I was back where I belong. It felt special. It really did.”
Smith said he’s grown a lot since he last played for the Jets. He spent several years as a backup for the Giants, Chargers and Seahawks before becoming a starter in Seattle.
“I think I’m a lot different,” Smith said. “Sometimes, most of the time, experience is going to be your best professor. I’ve had a ton of experience since my last pass with the Jets. I’ve been to a few teams. I’ve been around some great coaches, some great players. I’ve been on some great teams. I’ve been able to lead some great teams.
“I really feel like just everything that I’ve endured throughout the course of my career, as well as some other things I’ve learned, has really shaped me, and it’s helped me grow mentally, emotionally, physically as well as cerebrally as a quarterback.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
