With the start of NFL free agency just two days away, rumors are swirling.

After the failed Justin Fields experiment, the New York Jets are in a familiar position entering free agency: looking for a quarterback.

Nobody thinks that the Jets’ long-term solution under center is in this year’s free agency class, but given the team’s position, it is highly likely they will add at least one veteran quarterback on the open market this offseason.

While none of the available options are particularly appealing, some are clearly more viable than others.

One name recently linked to the Jets, per SNY’s Connor Hughes, is the newly released Geno Smith.

That reunion would represent the worst possible route the Jets could go to find a bridge QB.

The Jets reuniting with Geno Smith would be laughable

The first eight seasons of Smith’s career weren’t very kind to him.

After the Jets selected him in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft, he struggled as a starter for Gang Green during his first two professional seasons and was moved into a backup role with the team from 2015-16.

Following his stint with the Jets, he spent time as a backup with the New York Giants (2017) and the Los Angeles Chargers (2018).

In May 2019, Smith signed with the Seattle Seahawks and spent three seasons as the team’s backup quarterback behind Russell Wilson.

After Wilson was dealt to the Broncos ahead of the 2022 season, Smith beat out Drew Lock for the Seahawks’ starting role, and that is where he got his career back on track.

During his first season as Seattle’s starter, the West Virginia product led the league in completion percentage (69.8%) and earned Pro Bowl honors while being named the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year.

In his second year in that role, similar results followed, as the former Jet compiled another Pro Bowl campaign.

After leading the Seahawks to a 10-7 record in 2024, the team dealt him to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a third-round pick, where he reunited with Seattle’s former head coach, Pete Carroll.

However, everything unraveled during the 2025 season.

Throughout 15 games, Smith steered the Raiders to an atrocious 2-13 record while completing 67.4% of his passes for 3,025 yards, 19 touchdowns, and an NFL-high 17 interceptions.

Here is a look at some of his analytics and where they ranked among 31 qualified quarterbacks (minimum 290 dropbacks).

  • 6.8 yards per attempt (22nd)
  • 3.0% big time throw rate (27th)
  • 4.1% turnover worthy play rate (3rd-highest)
  • 6.9 ADOT (second-lowest)
  • 25.9% pressure to sack rate (highest)
  • 84.7 passer rating (28th)

It is also important to keep in mind that he led the league in interceptions despite having the third-highest wide-open throw percentage (27.2%), per Next Gen Stats, which are attempts in which the targeted receiver had over five yards of separation.

Coming off a season like that, it would make absolutely no sense for the Jets to sign a 35-year-old Geno Smith this offseason.

None of the Jets’ free agent options are particularly appealing, but Smith was in his own stratosphere of bad last season. Entering his age-36 season, it is fair to question how much more he has left in the tank.

The team would be much better off acquiring someone like Jacoby Brissett, who has a direct connection to offensive coordinator Frank Reich and produced respectable numbers last season behind an injury-riddled offensive line.

Simply put, reuniting with Geno Smith would be a “Same Old Jets” move.