Jim Cerny
Geno Smith isn’t the only key veteran player who’s back playing with the New York Jets after a long hiatus. Demario Davis is also back with Gang Green, his third separate stint with the club.
Even Davis shakes his head about being back with the Jets, after playing for them from 2012-15, and then again in 2017, before starring for the New Orleans Saints the past eight seasons.
“I never would have thought in a million years that I would have been back two times, much less three times,” the 37-year-old linebacker told reporters at OTAs. “But for me, I always try to find a positive perspective, and I guess this is just where I am meant to be. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Davis returned this offseason of his own choosing. He signed a two-year, $22 million contract, with $15 million guaranteed, with the Jets. And last week he said reuniting with Aaron Glenn, the Jets coach who previously worked with Davis in New Orleans as an assistant, is a big reason why he signed up for a third tour of duty on Broadway.
“Everything feels right. I’m playing for a coach I believe in, we’ve been together for a long time in this league,” Davis stated. “It’s been a joy to come to work every day. And, so, it’s a good situation to be in.”
The Jets didn’t bring their 2012 third-round pick back for sentimental reasons. He’s here because he can still play, coming off a season with the Saints when he totaled 143 tackles (64 solo), six tackles for loss, and played all 17 games. In 14 NFL seasons, Davis missed only two games.
Davis immediately takes over the Mike role on the Jets defense, which should take pressure off Jamien Sherwood, who struggled with the added responsibility last season. Sherwood broke out with a league-leading 98 solo tackles in 2024, with veteran linebacker C.J. Mosely out there with him. Sherwood should be unleashed again with Davis there to anchor the middle of the defense now.
Demario Davis, Geno Smith are Jets teammates once again
Smith’s return garnered more attention than that of Davis, simply because he plays quarterback. Unlike the steady Davis, Smith’s had plenty of ups and downs in his NFL career. including last season when he was 2-13-0 as the starter for the Raiders and threw a league-high 17 interceptions. That followed three terrific seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, including a pair of Pro Bowl appearances for Smith.
Davis and Smith were Jets teammates for three seasons after New York selected the QB in the second round of the 2013 draft. Those were tumultuous times for Smith and the Jets, including a messy end to their first marriage in 2016.
But David doesn’t dwell in the past. He likes what he sees right now.
“I wasn’t around him for a multitude of years, but he’s obviously walked through a lot of things in life that brought his countenance and spirit to a place of peace,” the two-time Pro Bowler and 2019 All-Pro said about the once-again Jets quarterback. “He’s very comfortable in his skin, knows who he is. He’s arriving in this moment with his mind right and you can feel it.”
