Geno

Smith

Facing his former team, Smith had just his third multi-score start of the season. His 9.1 yards per attempt were his second most. A renewed connection with deep threat Adonai Mitchell was partly to thank even as Mitchell’s 7/142/1 included an awful deep drop. Smith also looked Garrett Wilson’s way a team-leading 12 times, though wideout and quarterback again had trouble getting on the same page. They were mere inches away from several more catches, including one in the end zone. Not great, but the duo at least appears headed in the right direction. The same was not true of Smith and rookie first-rounder Omar Cooper Jr., whom Smith surprisingly did not target despite his back-to-back 100-yard efforts. This is sort of the long way of saying that Smith has a lot of excellent options in the passing game. That keeps him in the streamer mix, but he will not be a preferred QB2 for Week 9 against the Chiefs.

Smith posted another impressive box score and was almost perfect in this game, but his few mistakes were extremely impactful. The first was a red zone interception where Dolphins safety Michael Taaffe simply read Smith like a book and jumped the throw for an easy interception. The second catastrophic blunder was a 12-yard sack at the goal line that forced the Jets to settle for a field goal. Smith simply stared down Chop Robinson as the EDGE rusher ran straight at him for an easy sack. Smith isn’t at risk of losing his job anytime soon, but he needs to get back on track against the Raiders next week before taking on the Chiefs and Bills in the following weeks. Smith will be a mid-range QB2 for Week 8.

Smith was missing Adonai Mitchell for the fourth consecutive contest, but he found returning rookie first-rounder Omar Cooper Jr. for a sizzling 6/103/1 on seven targets. That was a necessary development with Garrett Wilson being limited to 4/44 as he was hounded by Christian Gonzalez. The 252 yards were Smith’s second most of the season, though his first interception of 2026 was a dreadful, costly mistake in the fourth quarter. He threw it in Keyon Sadiq’s direction, but Charles Woods ran the rookie tight end’s route for him. Disappointing, though we now have six games of evidence that Smith isn’t the bottom-three QB he appeared to be amidst the Raiders’ 2025 fiasco. Things could also get better if Mitchell soon returns and forms a legit trio with Wilson and Cooper. Smith won’t rise above mid-range QB2 status even for premium matchups, but he does have a primo Week 7 spot in the Dolphins.

Smith “added” five carries for seven yards. He also lost a fumble. Coming off a generationally bad Week 4 clunker against the Bears, Smith was hardly outstanding in rainy MetLife Stadium conditions, though he was superior to Deshaun Watson. Not that you would have noticed in real time. Smith fumbled “just” once compared to Watson’s four, also taking “only” four sacks to Watson’s staggering eight. Like Watson, Smith also lost a key pass catcher to a concussion, with Kenyon Sadiq going down in the third quarter. Both before and after Sadiq’s injury, the Jets mostly rode the run, with Braelon Allen turning his 24 carries into a strong 116 yards. Smith has predictably faded a bit after his relatively “hot start,” while he now has a tough Week 6 road test in the reviving Patriots. Smith’s decent weapons — which will hopefully include Adonai Mitchell next week — keep him in the QB2 mix, but only as a low-end option.

The Jets had the ball for a mere 17 minutes, as the Tyson Bagent-led Chicago offense dominated time of possession from start to finish. Smith, who had a combined 58 pass attempts over his past two outings, struggled against consistent pressure from the Bears front seven. His only highlight of the day came on a 58-yard touchdown strikes to Isaiah Williams in the fourth quarter. Smith should be a superflex option next week against the Browns. The return of Adonai Mitchell (finger) would boost Smith’s ceiling.

Smith also ran for 12 yards and completed one of his two two-point conversion attempts. The sacks, of which he took five, were an issue, but it was an otherwise flawless game from the veteran passer. He got particularly hot in the second half, getting points on the board in three of his four drives after the break. Smith was unfortunately sacked and lost the football on the final drive of the game, giving Detroit the win. The Jets don’t look like a team that is going to win many games this year, but it’s not because of Geno. Smith will be a viable Superflex option when he takes on the Bears next week.

The Jets weren’t able to make many big plays in this one. Geno’s longest completion was a 43-yard connection to Breece Hall that Hall caught three yards beyond the line of scrimmage. There was not another pass completion longer than 17 yards on the day. That being said, Geno didn’t make many bad decisions and took what the Packers’ defense was giving him. The offensive line provided no push in the running game, so the Jets may need to let Geno play more aggressively if they’re going to put up more points. That could start in Week 3 against a Lions team that figures to score a lot of points.

Smith “added” six rushes for seven yards. Although it was not a productive day in fantasy football, it was a highly encouraging one in “real life.” At least for one game, the Jets’ blocking was 10x better than what Smith experienced in Las Vegas last season, and he took advantage by taking zero sacks and hitting several down-field passes to his talented skill corps. Three different receivers generated gains of 30-plus yards, but Omar Cooper Jr.'s was more of a catch-and-run. Unfortunately, the rookie injured his ankle in the process. Smith is going to be a “highs and lows” quarterback in even the best of years, but there is now reason to believe 2026 will not be all lows like 2025 was with the Raiders. The Packers will be a tougher opponent for the Jets’ home opener in week 2.

What this means is that Geno Smith has plenty of job security. Klubnik in the preseason completed 21 of 34, passes for 190 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception while taking four sacks. Klubnik would be a marked downgrade from Smith if the veteran misses time in 2026.

Reich has reportedly added wrinkles to the offense he deployed as head coach of the Colts and Panthers. At both of those stops his offenses were near the bottom of the league in most basic offensive metrics. Smith, meanwhile, has looked sharp as the team’s starting quarterback throughout training camp and in limited preseason snaps. He’ll look to bounce back from a nightmarish statistical 2025 season in Vegas. Jets players, including Garrett Wilson, told The Athletic that they have enjoyed the “player empowerment” that comes along with Reich’s coaching style and his offensive scheming, which leaves room for improvisation. The Jets offense could be functional as long as Smith, 35, is healthy and upright.