Arian Smith's season is over, and his Jets career may be next

Arian Smith, who has had a strenuous tenure with the New York Jets to start his career to say the least, is now facing another setback in his development.

Head coach Aaron Glenn revealed on Wednesday that the 2025 fourth-round draft pick needed ACL surgery after suffering a knee injury in Week 2's loss to the Green Bay Packers and will be out for the remainder of the 2026 season.

"Arian, ACL surgery. So he'll be out for the year. Tough, but he'll bounce back very well," Glenn told reporters.

Glenn did his best to sound positive about Smith and his recovery process, and while no one wants to kick a man while he's down, it feels like the wide receiver's injury may have sealed the deal on his career in New York.

Arian Smith will have an uphill climb to make the New York Jets' 2027 roster

The problem for Smith over the first two years of his career is his lack of development. The Jets did their best to get him involved throughout his rookie season, but it was obvious he wasn't ready for the NFL.

Despite appearing in 16 games and starting five, he only managed to catch seven passes for 52 yards. He came along strong towards the end of the season as a gunner on special teams, but unfortunately it didn't translate into 2026.

Smith failed to prove himself as a playmaker this past preseason and likely only made the Jets' final 53-man roster thanks to his status as a 2025 draft pick.

When injuries left New York with only four healthy receivers going into Week 2's game against the Packers, Smith still managed to play just one offensive snap, which should tell you all you need to know about how the coaching staff felt about him.

It didn't help that he missed a tackle on punt coverage that allowed Skyy Moore to take a punt back 60 yards for the game-tying field goal.

It's hard to envision Smith, without any reps until next summer, proving himself enough to warrant a roster spot ahead of the 2027 season.

Not only does he have an uphill climb to recover from ACL surgery, but it's not like he'll improve as a player without time on the field.

It's a tough break for Smith, but it feels like his time as a Jet is at an end after this season-ending injury.

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