Frank Reich couldn't be more excited to work with new Jets QB Geno Smith

Geno could be the perfect fit for Reich's offense.

Charlie Baduini

New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

When the New York Jets landed former draft pick Geno Smith, there was reason for both optimism and concern.

On the pessimistic side of things, Smith is coming off one of the worst seasons of his pro career, dating back to his early days with the Jets. There's a real good chance his best days are behind him.

Glass half-full, the Las Vegas Raiders had one of the worst situations in football last year. They had virtually no offensive line, traded their best wide receiver at the trade deadline, and their offensive coordinator got fired in late November.

Smith has a chance to flip the script in New York in 2026, and offensive coordinator Frank Reich is just the guy to coach him through it.

Frank Reich says Geno Smith is a perfect fit for Jets' new offense

Speaking with reporters for the first time as the Jets' offensive coordinator, Reich couldn't help but rave about Smith, and he can flourish within his offense.

" I think he fits perfect. I've liked Geno from day one. I always think the number one attribute in any quarterback that you need, especially you wanna come and turn something around, is you need someone who's tough... We're getting the best version of who he is, and I think his best football's ahead of him."
Frank Reich

Reich has always been a fan of his big, tall quarterbacks, and Smith fits the mold of a guy who can run the former Indianapolis Colts head coach's offense to perfection.

Despite his shortcomings in Las Vegas last year, Smith was one of the better starting quarterbacks in the league during his tenure as the starting quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks.

From 2022 to 2024, Smith was 27-22 as a starter, and threw for 12,226 yards to go along with 71 touchdowns and 35 interceptions.

It would've been hard for any quarterback to succeed in Las Vegas last season, and Smith's supporting cast in New York will be much better.

The Jets' offensive line features at least three high-upside starters in Olu Fashanu, Armand Membou, and Joe Tippmann, and their weaponry far surpasses that of what the Raiders had last year.

New York fans should be just as excited as Reich is for their new quarterback; he's due for a bounce-back and has the tools he needs to do it.

Charlie Baduini

Charlie Baduini covers the New York Jets as a site expert for The Jet Press and FanSided. He is a sports journalist based in Northern New Jersey with a wide variety of sports reporting experience in print and broadcast journalism. Baduini’s byline can also be seen on Heavy and The Sporting News, where he covers several teams across the NFL and NBA. His work has been featured in Heavy, Athlon Sports, The Sporting News, Yahoo Sports, MSN, and Yardbarker. He also serves as a seasonal intern for ESPN, working as a production assistant for the Heisman Trophy Ceremony every year since 2022. Baduini has been a Jets fan for as long as he can remember, with his family's fandom dating back to the 1960s when his grandfather, Louis, became a season ticket holder. His family has since held on to the tickets to this day. He is an avid fan of the New York Knicks and New York Mets.