Fans should not continue booing Geno Smith

As the New York Jets continue to work out the kinks of their team, they were victorious in their first preseason game. Yet fans in attendance decided to boo quarterback Geno Smith to the point of no control.

Don’t get me wrong, many moons ago I was one of many that voiced and wrote my displeasures with quarterback Geno Smith. Over time I’ve come to realize something very important about him the moment he was drafted in that the talent around him, especially leadership, was absolutely terrible.

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Smith was drafted to a team that was destined to fail in 2013. and with a leadership regime that provided very bold predictions with nothing to show for it when all was said and done. He had abysmal wide receivers, no cohesion on offensive line and was pretty much thrown to the wolves too soon.

Most quarterbacks, especially ones brought in to possible be a franchise option in the future, usually need at least a year or two of development. With the right coaching, training and mentoring, any young quarterback fresh out of college should be able to play well if he has the opportunity to do so. Unfortunately for Smith, he had to be a starting quarterback when he was nowhere near ready to perform at such a high level.

Everyone knows he’s a turnover machine that made some dumb decisions on and off the field, all of which has made him into a despised figure in the city that never sleeps. It’s a shame really since he had a lot of potential coming out of West Virginia but the Jets for decades now, have had a terrible history of developing quarterbacks.

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Of course the current leadership regime is trying to change that by continuing to draft quarterbacks and develop them the right way for a better culture.

Everyone deserves a shot to be trained for a starting role when their time comes but Smith never had the luxury to do so.

What is most concerning however at this point in time is how fans in attendance of the first preseason game of the Jets at MetLife stadium booed him beyond belief.

Now, whether you’ve been a fan of the Jets dating back to when Joe Namath was making guarantees or when Wayne Chrebet always came through on third down, what have we truly become as a fan base?

At the end of the day, Smith is wearing a uniform of the Jets. He’s still a member of the team and every offseason since he’s been drafted has worked with quarterback gurus and fellow players to improve.

It’s not easy being a quarterback in the NFL, let alone one in New York but fans should not continue booing Smith just because he’s under center for the Jets. It should also be known that against the Jaguars, Smith was the only quarterback on the Jets to throw a touchdown pass.

Remember everyone, as fans of the Jets, we’re all one and the same. Root for the jersey and the memories the Jets have given you over the years. At the very least, show support for a player that knows he’s messed up in the past and is trying to do right by working hard to get better.

Everyone deserves a second chance in life and when it comes to football in the grand scheme of things, Smith could very well in 2016 have to come in and execute should an injury or decline in play happen with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

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Overall, if someone like me, a sportswriter of over 16 years that has watched football for well over 30 years of his life can own up to not giving Smith a fair shot considering the situation he was drafted into, we could all learn a thing or two about supporting a player of the team we love. After all, should the unthinkable happen where he’s the next starting quarterback again and delivers big results, we will have to root for him to succeed for the benefit of the Jets. Let’s stop booing and start supporting our Jets the right way this upcoming season, regardless who it is.