Geno Smith gave the Jets 1 thing desperate quarterback rooms are begging for

Frankly, there haven’t been many times in recent years when multiple fan bases could spend their Week 1 wishing that they had the New York Jets’ quarterback situation. 

At least for one afternoon, Darren Mougey and Geno Smith got to buck the trend. 

Smith was near-flawless in Sunday’s win over the Titans, completing 19 of 24 passes without turning the ball over. Robert Saleh’s defense didn’t manage a single sack of Smith, who looked right at home in his first Jets start since 2016. 

And while Smith may not have thrown a touchdown, there were several teams — most notably the Browns and Dolphins — likely wishing that they’d traded for Smith this past offseason. 

Other NFL teams should be envious of the New York Jets’ Geno Smith trade

Week 1 is an excellent time for overreactions, unless you’re a Titans fan livid about the Robert Saleh hire. In that case, your feelings are totally justified, and we express our condolences. 

Mougey should be applauded for the Smith trade only because of the greater context. The Jets were taking a chance on a proven older quarterback rather than sticking with the status quo or gambling on someone with a noted injury history — as the Falcons did with Tua Tagovailoa, who sat out Week 1 — or an overall lack of experience. 

Deshaun Watson was dreadful for the Browns, who turned in arguably the league’s worst performance in Sunday’s loss to Jacksonville. Atlanta was forced to start third-stringer Cooper Rush, and that quarterback room has the makings of a double-digit-loss team. Malik Willis’ Dolphins debut featured an arm punt and numerous missed chances against the lowly Raiders. 

We’d give Cleveland a slight pass because finances likely prevented them from realistically pursuing Smith, but Watson’s contract speaks for itself. What were the Falcons’ and Dolphins’ excuses? 

Heck, we’ll even throw the Titans in there. Saleh and Brian Daboll should have added a veteran quarterback in free agency to increase the pressure on Cam Ward, who often looked confused and anxious against a Jets defense that lost Minkah Fitzpatrick in the first quarter. 

We’re not predicting that Smith will make the Pro Bowl or lead the Jets to the playoffs. The bottom line is that Mougey wanted a stopgap quarterback as his starter, and he got one. This year marks only the second time since 2007 that no rookie quarterback started in Week 1, though that could change next week if Atlanta moves to undrafted rookie and Division II All-American Jack Strand.  

Not every team has a Caleb Williams or Lamar Jackson, but the Jets have Geno Smith, and that’s good enough for now. What a sentence to write.

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