Jets Score Quiet Win in Geno Smith

The New York Jets got aggressive in the quarterback market on Tuesday and found their guy in Geno Smith.

As offseason rumors started to pick up steam about who could be options for New York at quarterback, Smith's name was firmly on the list. There were rumblings that the Las Vegas Raiders wanted to move on, which shouldn't surprise anyone as the Raiders have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 National Football League Draft and are poised to select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

The rumors were confirmed on March 6 as ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Raiders were planning on releasing Smith barring a trade before the start of the new league year on Wednesday. If Smith had reached the open market, the Jets could've targeted him in free agency and made a move. Ultimately, Smith is coming over to New York by way of the trade and it's a good one for New York. Schefter reported that the Jets are sending a sixth-round pick to Las Vegas in exchange for Smith and a sixth-round pick. Plus, his contract was restructured and the Jets will be paying just over the minimum for him.

The Jets got it right

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

"Before the trade was agreed to, Geno Smith agreed to restructure his contract," Schefter wrote. "The Raiders still will pay the bulk of it, and the Jets will take on Smith’s contract at just over veteran minimum."

ESPN's Rich Cimini also reported that this was a "key part" of the deal.

"The Jets and Smith agreed to a restructured contract, per source, with the Raiders assuming a bulk of this year's salary ($18.5M guarantee). That's a key part of this transaction," Cimini wrote.

This is a quiet win for the franchise. It's important to note that while the Jets entered free agency loaded with salary cap space, they do have Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields both impacting the 2026 payroll already. Rodgers has $35 million of dead cap for New York and Fields is guaranteed $10 million. Not only landing a starting quarterback, but someone who is very cheap for the franchise is brilliant and will only give the team even more flexibility beyond the 2026 campaign.

The Jets could've targeted a big-money guy, like Malik Willis, but that would've only made it more difficult to add and fill other holes on the roster. Now, the Jets are getting a guy who is more cemented in the league at a much cheaper cost and can spend elsewhere to improve the roster. An overall win.