Geno Smith has played relatively well throughout training camp and the preseason, and as a result his starting job has never really been in jeopardy.
On Friday, a report from Jenny Vrentas of TheMMQB.com cited anonymous New York Jets coaches who were “disappointed” that Vick didn’t make more of an effort to beat out Smith.
No one is intimating that Vick is washed up, which is why some Jets coaches have privately expressed disappointment that Vick didn’t show up more hell-bent on winning the starting job, or at least a little more vested in making Ryan lose sleep again as he agonized over a difficult decision.
As you might expect, the report irritated Vick.
“That’s not true; that’s not true at all,” Vick said Friday, per Dom Cosentino of NJ.com. “Me and my coaches, we have great conversations, we have a different dialogue, and that was far from the case. So whoever wrote that story, it was on the side of being very fictitious. You’ve got to come up with better stories that that. There’s better things to talk about.”
According to Pro Football Talk, Vick was told before he signed with the Jets that the starting quarterback job belonged to Smith. The former West Virginia star led New York to an 8-8 record last year, which is impressive for a rookie no matter what his passing stats were. PFT’s source added that Vick has “worked his ass” thus far in New York.
The Jets want Smith to play well enough to keep Vick on the sidelines. That’s the reason they used a second-round draft pick on him. That said, Rex Ryan brought in a viable backup with starting experience for a reason. Like Vick recently said, the Jets probably won’t be overly patient with Smith. Ryan is coaching for his job, and Vick is more than just injury insurance.
