New York Jets: Quarterback situation is a mess once again

Has the quarterback situation of the New York Jets got out of hand or what? As many of my readers know, I’ve been away from the keyboard for a while. An unfortunate accident has caused me to have two surgeries on my ankle and I’m just getting back on my feet. It is good to be back to writing, I just wished my returning article would be just a little more upbeat.

After recovering and some physical therapy, I packed up the family for a quick vacation to a mountain cabin in northern Pennsylvania. The cabin has no television or internet services. You could imagine my surprise when I ran into the nearest town for a pizza, to find the news about Geno Smith‘s broken jaw. I was simply shocked!

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Smith will have surgery to repair his jaw as he’s expected to miss 6 to 10 weeks. I won’t get into the finger pointing that’s been going on, placing blame won’t do anything to fix the situation. Let me just say that both parties acted like immature kids and this should never have reached the point that it did.

Ryan Fitzpatrick has now been named the starter by head coach Todd Bowles. Fitzpatrick hasn’t had a spectacular career by any means, but he’s been in similar situations many times. Stepping in for a starter is not new to Fitzpatrick and the hope is he can win some games this season. Fitzpatrick has experience running Chan Gailey’s spread offense, having played under him in Buffalo. The red flag I see here, is Fitzpatrick’s health and mobility. He’s coming off a serious leg injury from last season, and was limited during OTA’s earlier this year.

Behind him the Jets have Bryce Petty, an unproven 4th round rookie out of Baylor. Petty’s camp with the Jets this summer hasn’t been impressive by any means. He’s struggled to pick up the new system and make adjustments to the NFL game itself. The interceptions have been numerous and ugly at times. It is apparent to me at least, Petty is not an ideal back up for Fitzpatrick should he go down.

Further down the list is Jake Heaps, and I think it is safe to assume nobody in the Jet fan base wants to see him on the field for the Jets anytime soon! If Fitzpatrick were to go down early, the Jets need someone to step in and take the reigns.

The quarterback position has turned into a mess once again. The Jets will need to find someone with NFL experience to step in if the need arises, but currently the pickings are slim. The most common name being mentioned is that of Rex Grossman, but one has to question the wisdom of signing him.

After great reports about Smith’s performance in training camp, the fan base was beginning to have hope for this young signal caller. To have his jaw broken in such a bizarre incident was devastating to the team. The quarterback reigns are being turned over to an aging veteran who has reportedly had a poor camp and who’s health is a concern heading through the regular season. It’s not an ideal way to start a year.

August 11, 2015; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) during training camp at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: John Munson/THE STAR-LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports

The quarterback position has been a continuing saga for the Jets for many years now. It has once again returned to a state of uncertainty with no easy fix. It’s disappointing and will be the greatest challenge Bowles and Gailey have faced yet in their first season here. The only good news is both are respected coaches and will do their best to rectify the situation.

Time for your opinions on the situation. Are you as concerned as I am with this position? Where do you stand on Fitzpatrick being the starter? Can Petty really be relied on to back up Fitzpatrick? Do you see Grossman as the solution? How would you fix this mess?

We here at The Jet Press want to hear your take. Pleasel eave us a commen, and Let’s Talk Jet Football!!

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