2 Reasons Why Geno Smith Can Succeed with Jets Despite Any Lingering Concerns

The Jets have seen both the good and the bad side of veteran quarterback Geno Smith's game through the first month of training camp and the first two weeks of free agency.

When he's good, Smith is a productive thrower of the football, using his strong arm and years of experience to move the ball down the field with an assortment of weaponry by his side. However, when things aren't going well, Smith's gunslinger mentality has led to interceptions and stalled offensive production.

At 36 years old, it would be hard to find anyone who feels Smith can become a top-10 quarterback in the league. You simply can't teach an old dog new tricks, especially when that dog has thrown more interceptions than anyone in the last two years combined.

But if Friday night's 17-0 preseason win over the Steelers showed anything, it's that the Jets were not only right to bring Smith in for the 2026 season, but that he should be successful in his second stint with New York.

And there's two key reasons why.

1. Jets' supporting cast trumps all

Look at last year's offensive depth chart for the Raiders around Smith. Now look at the group playing with Smith this year in Florham Park. Most objective analysts and fans can agree that the Jets have the more impressive supporting cast than the Raiders.

While the Silver and Black have an excellent tight end in Brock Bowers, there really isn't a position last year where they had a better player than the current Jets roster does right now.

That's a fundamental difference that will aid Smith this season.

Geno Smith points up — Geno Smith's 2025 performance wasn't great, but his improved pass-catching arsenal with the Jets puts him in a great spot to bounce back. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In his final year in Seattle, an organization one year away from a Super Bowl title, Smith won 10 games. He finished with 15 interceptions and at times looked like he held the team back, but still, 10 wins is nothing to scoff at.

That highlights one key part: if he has the right supporting cast, an NFL organization can win with Smith along for the ride. New York understands this reality, simply because they aren't paying him an extreme amount of money to start for them in 2026. There is also no long-term guarantee he'll be around beyond the upcoming season.

But if the Jets' key players on offense—wide receiver Garrett Wilson, running back Breece Hall, and the stalwart tackles in Armand Membou and Olu Fashanu—all stay healthy, then Smith will have a cast that can allow him to distribute the ball evenly and on time.

Against Pittsburgh, the Jets saw that firsthand. New York's offense was unstoppable on its lone drive of the game that resulted in a touchdown. Much of that came down to Smith. But in a deeper sense, it had to do with the supporting cast as well.

That brings us to the second point too.

2. The big "E" word

Smith went 7-for-7 for 65 yards and his lone touchdown pass. New York's offense converted several third downs, and four different receivers caught passes on the opening drive. That balanced distribution—coupled with a perfect passer rating—means Smith's day was efficient.

not a bad start 😮‍💨

📺: #NYJvsPIT on @NFLonCBS, @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/Ias9l0WIsu
— New York Jets (@nyjets) August 21, 2026

If the Jets are going to find success in 2026, they'll need that word to be a central theme for the offense with Smith leading the way.

"Very efficient," Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said of Smith's performance on Friday. "I think he had two 3rd down completions. Within that, he threw to five different receivers within
that drive. He looked very comfortable, did exactly what we were looking for."

Smith's completion percentage shows of an efficient player. He has completed more than 64% of his passes in each of the last four seasons as a starter. With the Raiders, he completed 67% of his passes. It shows he wasn't the key problem for Las Vegas's offense last year.

If the Jets can get that kind of accuracy and efficiency from Smith, their offense will be significantly better than the last-place group from last season. Expectations aren't exactly too high to clear in 2026, but Gang Green should feel confident that Smith will be up to the task.

If anything, the unit showed on Friday they'll be a far better watch compared to last year.

And that might make all the distance for Jets fans.

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