Here at Jets X-Factor, we’ve taken a deep dive into Geno Smith’s struggles when under pressure in 2025, along with his success in a clean pocket.

Ever since the New York Jets drafted him in 2013, Smith has been a pocket passer. Not at any point in his career has he excelled at making plays on the move or consistently succeeding while evading pressure.

That was one of the main reasons behind his steep decline with the Las Vegas Raiders. Especially at this point in his career, Smith can’t afford to play behind an incompetent offensive line that forces him to be a playmaker.

A graphic posted by FTN Fantasy (formerly known as Football Outsiders) on X revealed that Smith ranked dead last among qualified quarterbacks (min. 50 attempts) in their signature stat, DVOA, when outside of the pocket.

Here is a look at the bottom 10.

  1. Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders (-47.6%)
  2. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (-39.6%)
  3. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers (-38.0%)
  4. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears (-36.8%)
  5. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (-35.4%)
  6. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (-34.9%)
  7. Drake Maye, New England Patriots (-29.0%)
  8. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (-28.3%)
  9. Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers (-25.7%)
  10. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans (-24.2%)

Why the Jets aren’t too concerned

This shouldn’t change the Jets’ optimism for Smith this season.

Why?

Well, they already know Smith isn’t a creator. The fact of the matter is that he remains a very good quarterback from a clean pocket.

Here is a look at Smith’s numbers in a clean pocket versus under pressure in the 2025 season.

Clean pocket:

  • 312 dropbacks
  • 83.0 PFF Grade
  • 81.9% adjusted completion rate
  • 7.4 yards per attempt
  • +0.24 EPA per dropback
  • 2.8% Big Time Throw rate
  • 2.5% Turnover Worthy Play rate

Under pressure:

  • 212 dropbacks
  • 29.3 PFF Grade
  • 63.8% adjusted completion rate
  • 5.3 yards per attempt
  • -0.71 EPA per dropback
  • 3.2% Big Time Throw rate
  • 6.5% Turnover Worthy Play rate
  • 25.9% Sack rate

The problem is that the Raiders forced Smith to play under pressure far too often.

Smith was pressured on 40.5% of his dropbacks, per PFF, the fourth-highest rate among quarterbacks with at least 300 dropbacks. It is beyond difficult for any QB in the league, let alone a 35-year-old pocket passer like Smith, to succeed when facing that degree of pressure.

In New York, playing behind an offensive line that projects to be much stronger than the Raiders’ 2025 unit, Smith should face pressure at a far lower rate, allowing his clean-pocket efficiency to be put on display more often.

Success from a clean pocket is enough to anchor a strong season of quarterbacking, even with struggles outside of the pocket. When looking at the other QBs who finished in the bottom 10 of DVOA when forced out of the pocket, there are several signal-callers who had excellent overall years.

Drake Maye and Dak Prescott received legitimate MVP consideration, while Caleb Williams took a remarkable Year 2 leap and led the Chicago Bears to the playoffs.

Overall, the Jets should remain steadfast in their belief in Smith.

Between his fit with Frank Reich, the improved offensive line, and beefed-up pass-catching corps, he remains in a very strong position to bounce back with the Jets in 2026.