Todd Bowles is the latest ex-Jets figure heartwarmingly supporting Geno Smith’s return

New York Jets fans can officially add Todd Bowles to the list of familiar faces rooting for Geno Smith this year.

Barring disaster, Smith is only 10 days away from making his first Jets start since 2016. His final game, an October clash with the Ravens in which he tore his ACL, came with Bowles as his coach.

Nearly a decade later, Smith is back in New York, and Bowles is entering his fifth season as the Buccaneers’ head coach. He’s seen Baker Mayfield revive his career in Tampa Bay, and ex-Jets bust Sam Darnold led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory last year.

Speaking with ESPN, Bowles referenced those two, as well as the Colts’ Daniel Jones, as former starters who turned things around after reaching the proverbial rock bottom.

“Geno has played enough football,” Bowles said. “Maybe he’s at the right place at the right time.”

Todd Bowles and multiple ex-New York Jets figures are rooting for Geno Smith

Smith has already enjoyed one resurgence, having made two Pro Bowls in three years with the Seahawks after replacing Russell Wilson. He’s poised to play behind an offensive line that should be far more competent than the one he had in Las Vegas last season. Asking him to reach the Super Bowl is a tough ask, but there are nonetheless reasons for optimism.

The lead-up to Week 1 has featured numerous former Jets players and coaches publicly buying high on Smith. Quinton Coples, who played with the former West Virginia standout for parts of three seasons, recently said he believes things “are gonna be great” with Smith running the offense.

Another former teammate, Brandon Marshall, raved about Smith in the same ESPN story. The two lived together ahead of the 2015 season and overlapped for two years, both coming under Bowles.

“He has this freaking, like, boss tenacity and leadership where guys are going to respect him," Marshall said of Smith. "You can’t push Geno over. That is needed in the locker room, especially today.”

Rex Ryan, who publicly feuded with Smith several years ago, visited Jets camp earlier this summer and spoke with his former quarterback. We’ll see next Sunday whether the ex-Jets coach offers any Smith-related insight on ESPN’s pregame coverage. 

Given the state of the AFC and where the Jets are in their latest rebuild, anything resembling significant progress should be considered a victory. And while we won’t call the Jets’ offense “loaded,” they’ve built an intriguing core centered around Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson, and the surging Adonai Mitchell.

Besides, what better way to win over a fanbase than by picking apart Robert Saleh and the Titans’ defense on the road? 

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow