If Geno Smith is concerned that he’ll be pushed out as the Jets’ starting quarterback by new arrival Michael Vick, he’s doing a good job of hiding it.
Smith told the Associated Press that he’s thrilled to have Vick as a teammate.
“Awesome, man. Vick’s my guy,” Smith said. “We needed to find a guy that was legitimately a guy that could come in and play. I think that’s what we did. Mission accomplished.”
Smith says he realizes that Vick wants to play and won’t be content as a backup.
“That’s every quarterback,” Smith said. “I understand where Mike’s coming from. No one wants to sit the bench. I don’t know a player that does.”
For the next five months, Smith and Vick will compete, a competition Smith says he’s ready for.
“It’s just good to have a guy to compete with like Mike,” Smith said. “We’re going to compete. We’re not going to say, ‘Hey, you’re the starter.’ And we’ll leave it at that. We want to get better. I love it. It’s really making everyone work harder and keep you right on your toes because you don’t have a moment to be satisfied or just say ‘I’ve arrived.’ You’ve got to continue to work at it.”
Smith will have to work hard to keep Vick from taking his job.