Jets reportedly will not have Geno Smith on short leash
The New York Jets have named Geno Smith their starting quarterback for Week 7, and there is some belief that the fourth-year pro will not get many chances to mess up before the team turns back to Ryan Fitzpatrick or gives Bryce Petty a shot. However, Smith reportedly will not be on a short leash.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Jets are planning to give Smith a fair chance to prove himself and keep the starting job. Part of that has to do with the level of frustration surrounding Fitzpatrick, which has reportedly been high since the 33-year-old missed most of the offseason program due to a contract stalemate.
Fitzpatrick was the worst quarterback in football through the first six games of the season, so it would be tough for the Jets to justify being impatient with Smith. Although, the problem is Smith has been bad in the past, and the fans lack confidence in him.
Brandon Marshall has always supported Smith publicly, and he even moved in with the quarterback prior to last season. Marshall recently had a fantastic quote about the way Smith has dealt with adversity.
Jets fans have watched Smith make mistakes in the past and fail as their starting quarterback, so you can expect to hear plenty of grumbling if Smith turns the ball over and can’t win games.
