There’s no way around it. The New York Jets are not living up to expectations this season. They’ve won a grand total of one game on the season and are pretty much already out of the AFC Playoff race.
There’s a lot of reasons for these struggles, but the finger has firmly been pointed in the direction of starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. The veteran has thrown 10 interceptions in five games heading into Monday’s contest with the Arizona Cardinals.
It now appears that if one member of the Jets had his druthers, Fitzpatrick wouldn’t be the one taking snaps under center moving forward.
“I’m getting antsy,” backup quarterback Geno Smith told ESPN’s Lisa Salters before Monday night’s game (h/t Pro Football Talk).
Jets fans can relate to this feeling. They have likely found themselves antsy every time Geno has dropped back to pass during his largely unsuccessful four-year career.
Since being selected in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft, Smith has compiled an 11-18 record in 29 career starts. He’s also tallied 27 touchdowns compared to 35 interceptions during that span.
While Smith might very well want to prove to the Jets’ brass that he still has something to offer, it remains to be seen if he’d actually get the call should Fitzpatrick be benched.
Neither Bryce Petty nor Christian Hackenberg seem to offer much as backups. Though, Smith himself is the one that’s proven to be a complete bust on the NFL field. If the Jets want new blood, it’s highly unlikely he’d be the one getting the call in this hypothetical scenario.