NY Jets might be forced to bench Tyron Smith for rookie Olu Fashanu

The NY Jets had high expectations when they signed longtime Dallas Cowboys left tackle Tyron Smith to a one-year, $6.5 million contract this past offseason. After all, Smith was fresh off a second-team All-Pro season with the Cowboys and remained one of the best left tackles in the NFL.

The Jets had genuine concerns about his health, which is why they used the 11th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on his future replacement, Olu Fashanu. But the expectation was that a healthy Smith would help anchor a new-look Jets offensive line this season.

Smith has stayed healthy, but his performance has been well short of anything anyone could have imagined. The future Hall of Famer has struggled mightily through the first seven weeks, and might genuinely be the weakest link in the Jets offensive line.

Smith's struggles have led many to call for the Jets to bench him in favor of Fashanu, who started two games earlier in the year in place of Morgan Moses. It doesn't appear we've reached that point yet, but the Jets might have no choice if his woes continue.

When will the NY Jets bench Tyron Smith?

Smith has allowed five sacks and 19 pressures through the first seven games of the season. Only two offensive linemen in the NFL have surrendered more sacks while his 19 pressures rank sixth-most among all offensive tackles.

While his actual on-field production may not be quite as bad as those numbers indicate, Smith has also been penalized six times, which ranks tied for ninth among tackles. He hasn't just been a disappointment — he's been a bad starting left tackle.

The Jets obviously aren't in a hurry to bench Smith given his pedigree. The team is also trying to maintain continuity along the offensive line, something they've been able to do a lot more than last season.

It's also worth noting that Fashanu didn't exactly perform well when given a chance to start at right tackle earlier this year. Fashanu allowed nine pressures in two starts, earning a Pro Football Focus grade of 49.0, which would rank 60th among 62 qualifiers if he had played enough snaps.

That could be partially explained by the fact that Fashanu was playing out of position, but it still wasn't an ideal first impression. The Jets might not feel like the Penn State product is ready for a starting role at this time.

Unfortunately, that reflects poorly on the pick in the first place. If the Jets don't believe that Fashanu can perform at a similar level to Smith right now, that doesn't bode well for the decision to draft him.

Right now, the Jets are sticking with Smith for the sake of continuity. They're hoping the soon-to-be 34-year-old improves as the season goes on and returns to his pre-2024 form. But the more he struggles, the louder the cries for Fashanu will grow.

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