The New York Jets are investing in their future with Geno Smith – albeit indirectly. A commentary.

New season, new starting quarterback for the Jets: Geno Smith is returning to New York, an old acquaintance. Many people are laughing at the deal, but it’s exactly what the franchise needs. The Jets have been the whipping boys of the AFC East for years. The last time they made the playoffs was in 2010. Since then, they have been rebuilding year after year, so far without any success. Quite a few fans consider owner Woody Johnson to be the worst in the league.

To make matters worse, their division rivals from New England have shown how to do better in a quarter of the time. It’s clear that something has to change – and it is with Geno Smith.

At first glance, the deal may not make much sense. They are bringing in a 35-year-old quarterback at the end of his career who is already past his prime. Raiders fans are likely to have nightmares for years to come about last season and Smith’s numerous interceptions. But the season also had one positive: the Raiders were so bad that they got the number one pick. This means Las Vegas can pick Fernando Mendoza, by far the best quarterback in his class, and build their team around him for the next few years.

Kansas City Chiefs want to do it again – back to the dominant offense around Patrick Mahomes – a commentary

And it could be similar for the New York Jets in the coming season: Geno Smith can no longer be expected to explode in performance, and there are far too many weaknesses in the rest of the team to make any serious leaps forward. That’s why they’ve decided on a transition year with the motto: the worse, the better.
And that’s not meant to be disrespectful: the Jets seem to have finally realized what everyone outside the organization has long understood: rebuilding takes time. For comparison: The Patriots’ first season with Drake Maye ended with a 4-13 record, and the Bears’ first season with Caleb Williams ended with a 5-12 record. This year’s quarterback class is simply not strong enough to invest a high draft pick, and even in free agency, it would have been almost impossible for the Jets to get a top quarterback.

Instead, they are investing in the future on defense and waiting for next year’s draft. That’s because there is a significantly stronger quarterback class available then, including mega-talent Arch Manning. Until then, the motto is: lose as much as possible, develop as much as possible.

After all, it’s also a homecoming for Geno Smith. The 35-year-old was drafted by the Jets in 2013 and spent the first four years of his career there. He would certainly have wished for better circumstances for his return, but if he leads the franchise to a better future, he will probably be satisfied with that.