Aaron Glenn Takes Hard Stance on Geno Smith's Role With Jets

The New York Jets entered the offseason in real need of a quarterback to raise the floor of the franchise. They found the answer in Geno Smith.

Smith, a 12-year veteran returning to New York for the first time since 2016, is coming off a season in which he threw for 3,025 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in 15 games for the Las Vegas Raiders. With the annual NFL league meetings in session, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn was asked about Smith on Sunday and made it clear that he is the franchise's starter.

"It means to have a bona fide starter come in and lead this offense to where it needs to go," Glenn said of Smith. "Listen, he's done it, you know, a couple of years. I mean, those years in Seattle, when he was, I think, Comeback Player of the Year. ... Man, he was up for MVP early in the season. There's no doubt in my mind that we brought a competent starter here on this team. I look forward to him getting in the building. ... No doubt about it. He's our guy."

The Jets have their guy

Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) looks to throw in the third quarter against the New York Giants at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Aaron Glenn on Geno Smith to the NFL Network this morning. pic.twitter.com/GESYr9lPLn
— Judy Battista (@judybattista) March 29, 2026

ESPN's Rich Cimini shared a similar sentiment and Glenn confirmed it on Sunday. This couldn't be more obvious. Smith is a seasoned veteran and at the very least will raise the floor for the franchise. Over the last four seasons, Smith has racked up 15,251 passing yards, 90 touchdowns and 52 interceptions in 64 games played.

Of course, he should be the Jets' starter. With Justin Fields out the door, the Jets only have Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe on the roster, outside of Smith. Right now, the top remaining free agent quarterbacks are Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers (who obviously isn't returning to New York), Russell Wilson and Jimmy Garoppolo.

There were some trade rumors early in the offseason around guys like Tanner McKee and Mac Jones. Cimini reported that the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers were looking for second-round picks in return. Arguably, wild asking prices. Instead, the Jets got a starting quarterback for a much lower price in Smith.

At the end of the day, the Jets are already better on paper, thanks in large part to Smith coming to town. The Jets landed a starter without having to pay a massive price, financially or in the trade market. The Jets are all set. Not in the long term, but for the 2026 season. New York has three first-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft and four picks across the first two rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft. There will be options for New York in the long term. Right now, Smith is a great bridge option.