Geno Smith is going back to the Jets.
New York acquired the 35-year-old quarterback from the Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday for a swap of late-round picks, sending a 2026 sixth-round selection to Vegas in exchange for Smith and a seventh-rounder.
The cost is almost nothing, especially considering Smith restructured his contract and will be playing for close to the league minimum. The narrative weight, however, is enormous.
Geno Smith Returns to the Franchise That Gave Up on Him
Smith hasn’t worn a Jets uniform since 2016. The organization drafted him 39th overall in 2013 out of West Virginia, handed him the starting job as a rookie, and watched him throw 21 interceptions against 12 touchdowns. He struggled again in 2014, lost the starting job, and never got it back. New York moved on. Most people assumed Smith’s career was over.
They were wrong.
Geno Smith was drafted by the Jets in 2013 and spent the first four years of his career with the organization.
Now he’s back to finish his story.
As Geno once said: “They wrote me off. I ain’t write back though.” https://t.co/uRTjgzwj4B
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 10, 2026
After stints with the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers, Smith landed in Seattle as Russell Wilson’s backup. Two years later, Wilson was gone, and Smith stepped in and proved he could be a starting-caliber QB. He completed 69.8% of his passes for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2022, earned a Pro Bowl selection, and won AP Comeback Player of the Year. He followed it up with 3,624 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2023 while leading the Seahawks to a 9-8 record.
That version of Geno Smith feels like a long time ago.
The Seahawks traded him to the Raiders in March 2025 for a third-round pick, reuniting him with Pete Carroll, who had coached Smith’s breakout in Seattle. The pairing was supposed to revive both their careers. It didn’t. Smith went 2-13 as a starter and threw a league-high 17 interceptions. The Raiders finished 3-14, matching the worst record in franchise history. Carroll was fired.
According to PFSN’s QB Impact Score, Smith posted a 68.6 grade in 2025, which ranked 34th among all QBs and was his worst mark since entering the league; it was also a sharp drop from the 75.2 he recorded in Seattle in 2024, which ranked 17th among all quarterbacks.
The historical data tells the full story of what the Jets are actually getting: Smith’s best football came in Seattle, where he posted three consecutive seasons with QB Impact Scores between 72.7 and 75.2, all grading out in the C to C- range. His two Jets stints in 2013 and 2014 produced scores of 72.4 and 71.3, respectively, middling grades that reflect the same ceiling the numbers have never let him escape.
Smith enters the Jets’ quarterback room with something to prove and very little guaranteed beyond a roster spot. The Raiders still owe him money, making him available at or near the veteran minimum. For a Jets franchise sitting on $70 million in cap space and two first-round picks, this is a low-risk addition with a clear purpose: hold the fort while the front office figures out the long-term plan.
How Geno Smith Fits Aaron Glenn’s Jets Rebuild
Head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey have been transparent about their approach. They want a bridge quarterback for 2026 while evaluating whether to draft a passer this April or wait for the stronger 2027 class. Aside from Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson leads a consensus-thin quarterback group in this year’s draft, and the Jets hold picks at the top of the second round where he could fall.
Smith fits that bridge role. He knows the franchise, knows the building, and brings 13 years of NFL experience. Frank Reich, the Jets’ new offensive coordinator, has a track record of maximizing veteran quarterbacks. Reich helped Andrew Luck post 39 touchdown passes in 2018 and got productive seasons out of Jacoby Brissett and Philip Rivers. Smith’s best football in Seattle came from a scheme that leaned on quick decisions and play-action, which aligns with what Reich has run throughout his career.
The concern is obvious. Smith’s 2025 tape was ugly, and his age works against him. He turns 36 in October, and quarterbacks coming off seasons with 17 interceptions and a 2-13 record don’t typically bounce back.
Dismissing this move ignores the price. A sixth-round pick for a quarterback who made a Pro Bowl relatively recently is essentially free. If Smith plays well enough to keep the Jets competitive while a rookie develops behind him, the trade pays for itself. If he falls apart, New York moves on with no financial hangover and a high draft pick already in hand for 2027.
The Jets gave up on Smith once before. He responded by winning Comeback Player of the Year. At 35, he’s earned the right to prove he’s got another one in him. Whether New York is the right place for that story to unfold remains to be seen.
