Rex Ryan: Geno Smith will be hard for Michael Vick to beat out as starting QB

Geno Smith turned the ball over 29 times as a rookie, including 21 interceptions. (Ron Antonelli/Getty Images)

When the New York Jets signed veteran quarterback Michael Vick during free agency, many believed he would immediately beat out second-year signal-caller Geno Smith for the starting quarterback job.

However, in a recent interview, Jets head coach Rex Ryan praised Smith for the fact that he "knows the offense forward and backwards" and he said Vick will have his work cut out for him if he wants to win the No. 1 spot on the depth chart.

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"This young man is going to be hard to beat out," Ryan said in an interview with WFAN-AM, via NFL.com. "Even as talented a player as Mike Vick is, I think Geno Smith has made that big a stride. And again, the proof will be in the pudding when we play this thing out, but that's my confidence in him."

Of course, Ryan added that Vick "definitely has a chance to win the job."

Vick does have some familiarity with the team's offensive coordinator, Marty Mornhinweg, so it should be a fair competition for both men.