Aaron Glenn provides injury update on Geno Smith after late preseason scratch

When Aaron Glenn announced that his starters would be playing in their preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there was plenty of reason for excitement. After all, it was the first time Jets fans would be seeing Geno Smith in Green & White since 2016.

Instead, just over an hour before kickoff, it was announced that Smith would be inactive for the preseason tilt, as he dealt with what NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported as "foot soreness."

After the 24-16 loss to Tampa Bay, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn spoke with reporters and elaborated further on Smith's injury. He reiterated that the injury was "nothing to be alarmed about," per ESPN's Rich Cimini, and that it occurred in the final joint practice on Wednesday.

All in all, a positive update on the Jets' veteran quarterback, and one that should ease fans' minds. It sounds like Smith is likely to be back at practice sometime this week and could even suit up for next week's preseason tilt against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Geno Smith injury 'nothing to be alarmed about' for New York Jets

Holding Smith out of the preseason opener was clearly the Jets being overly cautious with their starting quarterback. Garafolo said in his initial report that had it been a regular-season game, Smith would have suited up.

But due to the nature of the preseason and the Jets likely wanting to give fourth-round rookie Cade Klubnik some extra run, why not give him the night off?

On the other hand, it would have been nice to see Smith redeem himself after a poor stretch of practice this past week. In joints with the Buccaneers, the veteran's struggles were well-documented, and he could've used Friday night to shake off any doubts from Jets fans.

We'll see if Smith will be ready as the Jets progress through the coming week, and if not, that just means more reps for Klubnik.

Cade Klubnik impresses in limited reps for New York Jets

With Smith watching from the sidelines, Klubnik got his first "start," working with the first team offense for what seemed like the first time all summer long.

Fans likely wanted to see Klubnik for longer than the quarter and a half that he got, but regardless, he still played well. The Clemson standout completed 5 of 7 pass attempts for 56 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions.

If Smith can't practice this week, expect Klubnik to fill in for the veteran, as both Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook did not do enough to push the rookie for more playing time.

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