The first practice of New York Jets training camp is on Wednesday, July 29.
Before we get there, Geno Smith had some words to share with the rest of the planet. Smith made several posts on his Instagram story seemingly directed at his doubters.
“War ready,” Smith posted. “The internet > Real Life” … “Talk facts or don’t talk at all.”
“Since the start of the 2022 NFL season, Geno Smith has played in 64 regular-season games, recording 15,251 passing yards, 90 passing touchdowns, and 52 interceptions with a 93.2 passer rating,” Smith included this blurb in the post.
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In several follow-up posts, Smith included various stats from his football career.
“Over 44 career games, he totaled 11,662 passing yards, 98 passing touchdowns, and 21 interceptions while completing 67.4% of his passes,” Smith highlighted. Smith appeared to be reminding people of his collegiate career at West Virginia from 2009 through 2012.
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Finally, Smith took a trip down memory lane, highlighting his spectacular high school career with a post on his Instagram story.
“At Miramar High School in Florida, Geno Smith finished his stellar career as one of Broward County’s top passers. As a senior in 2008, he threw for 3,089 yards and 30 touchdowns, following a junior year where he recorded 2,200 yards and 25 scores,” Smith shared.
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Smith Has Heard the Noise
There have been a lot of jokes made about Smith returning to the Jets this offseason.
The 35-year-old passer spent the first four years of his career with the green and white. He entered the league as the No. 39 overall pick in the second round of the 2013 draft.
There were certainly flashes of brilliance, but his tenure was marred by losses, turnovers, and an incident in the locker room that left him with a broken jaw.
In 2017, he left the team and traveled through the NFL as a backup quarterback. Six seasons later, he re-emerged from the darkness as a full-time starter in 2022. This offseason, he returned to where it all started.
Smith shouldn’t be surprised by all the noise so far. This is the New York market. Smith’s first stint with the team didn’t go well, but he is back to rewrite his story.
It certainly sounds like he has a massive chip on his shoulder heading into training camp to prove that he hasn’t lost a step.
A Motivated Smith Should Be Music to Jets Fans’ Ears
No matter what way you slice this, it’s good news for the Jets.
I’m not sure what Smith’s college career from 14 years ago or his high school career from 18 years ago has anything to do with 2026, but it doesn’t matter.
NFL players find motivation in all kinds of places, whether it’s real or not. The criticisms of Smith from fans and media analysts alike aren’t contrived; they’re real.
Last season, Smith led the league in interceptions and was the most sacked quarterback in football. Was that Smith showing signs of decline? Or was he the victim of a dysfunctional situation with the Las Vegas Raiders?
The Jets clearly think it’s the latter. Smith appears motivated by the critics, which should give the Jets an inspired starting QB for the 2026 season.
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