Well, here we go again. The only thing more uncertain than picturing who the New York Jets’ next great quarterback will turn out to be is the devastatingly annoying rumors that come with the speculation.
Actually, scratch that. Remove the word “great,” and instead, simply imagine who the Jets’ QB1 will be when Week 1 hits us in September. Such a thought project is a messy proposition in itself; few need the fly-by rumors that come with the oft-discussed offseason topic.
Yet, here are. On this particular news-dump Friday, when the only thing more aggressive than slipping big-time news through the cracks and under the radar of our senses is the act of matching the sneaky importance with clickbait headlines that transparently do a grave injustice to the New York Jets fan.
The rumors surrounding Geno Smith, Malik Willis, and even Justin Fields, who is rumored to have garnered interest elsewhere (the Pittsburgh Steelers, really?), are no more legitimate than an NFL aggregator’s actual on-field football knowledge. (Go ahead and dare just one “aggregator” to break down just a singular football play in real time, with nothing but their voice and thoughts leading the way.)
Geno Smith rumored interest from the Jets
Geno Smith is a man who needs no introduction around these parts (save for the fresh-eyed youngster). Drafted in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft — a man whose voice was called out by Wayne Chrebet — Smith spent four seasons with the Jets.
Smith, 35, threw for 5,962 yards and 28 touchdowns to 36 interceptions in 33 games (30 games started) with the Jets. Although he dropped out of the first round on draft night, the then-John Idzik-led organization, along with a portion of the fanbase, believed they had found their long-term answer at quarterback.
That wasn’t the case.
These days, he’s fresh off the heels of a horrendous first season in Las Vegas with the Raiders. Smith barely cracked the 3,000-yard marker (3,025) while throwing just 19 touchdowns to 17 interceptions in 15 games.
Those who actually took the time to read Jeremy Fowler’s ESPN article earlier this week already understand just how silly the Geno-to-Jets stuff is.
This isn’t to say Geno to the Jets is an impossibility; rather, Fowler simply mentioned Smith’s name as one of three quarterbacks who could be made “available” to the Jets: Geno Smith, Kyler Murray, and Tua Tagovailoa.
“Do the Jets get one of those three — that’s really the question I have,” an AFC executive said. “They could go young and load up for the 2027 draft of quarterbacks, but the head coach [Aaron Glenn] probably needs to win, so he might need more of a reliable option.”
What are we doing here, folks? Of course, Geno will be made “available” to the rest of the NFL? Those who believe the Raiders will select Mendoza at No. 1 overall — which is a near-unanimous majority — would then logically think Geno will find himself on the trade block.
Fowler, himself, even started the Jets section featuring Geno by stating, “This notion isn’t exactly bold.”
Any Jets fan who sees a headline with the name of “Geno Smith,” the team name of the “Jets,” and the word “linked,” all appearing together, may as well keep scrolling down the screen. The entire idea is simply a man tossing ideas around.
It’s not Fowler’s fault, either. Aggregators simply throw his predictions around while passing them off as potentially legitimate.
Malik Willis noise with the Miami Dolphins
Next in line on this ridiculously uninformative roller-coaster is impending free agent quarterback Malik Willis, who’s the closest thing to Scott Mitchell’s Miami Dolphins stretch that helped him snatch up big money from the Detroit Lions.
Willis, 26, was snatched up by the Tennessee Titans in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft. Thanks to his solid relief play behind Jordan Love over the last two seasons, his name has been rumored as a hot commodity on the open market.
Naturally, he’ll be “linked” or “predicted” to become the Jets’ next quarterback.
As of this very moment, nothing substantial can be found.
Other than just wild predictions that others decide to run with, while making outlandish headlines for social media users to gobble up and share, nothing concrete exists here. It’s just more soap opera football fodder that routinely happens around this time of year.
Jordan Schultz, of no particular affiliation, posted an X that stated the Miami Dolphins hired Jeff Hafley as head coach, the former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator.
Featured prominently in the post is a picture of Malik Willis, another Packer:
Whoa, case closed. Willis is undoubtedly destined for South Beach. … Right?
I shudder to even mention any other names that have put forth unsubstantiated reports that feature phrases as “best position to land,” connecting the quarterback-starved Jets with the free-agent-to-be Willis.
Again, this isn’t to say Willis won’t wind up in New York, but the nonsense surrounding any semblance of “in the know” information is farcical.
All New York Jets fans need to know is this simple fact: Nobody knows anything — at least not yet. While there’s no question that many of these guys are simply doing PR from a distance, as opposed to real journalism, it’s entirely too early in the offseason to bite into any bit of quarterback info.
Please be kind to yourself and don’t take any of this stuff seriously. It’s for the birds (and no, I’m not referencing the Philadelphia Eagles or Atlanta Falcons).
