The Jets are rolling Geno Smith back into the starting lineup for Friday night. This move comes after the 35-year-old quarterback sat out the preseason opener due to an aching ankle. Brian Costello of the New York Post confirmed the news, stating Smith will take the field against the Steelers in Pittsburgh. It is a bold call by head coach Aaron Glenn, who has been tight-lipped about the plan all week. The team needs to see if Smith can handle the heat before the regular season begins.
Pain Management Versus Game Readiness
Glenn knows the risk. He watched Smith miss the first game against the Buccaneers while rookie Cade Klubnik took the snaps. Now, the coach faces a classic dilemma: rest the veteran or get him ready for Week 1. Glenn told reporters he wants all starters to get reps, but he also has to manage the pain. “I just think there’s soreness,” Glenn said of Smith’s ankle. At this stage, every player understands that injury is inevitable at some point.
The coach is not ignoring the physical reality. He noted that Smith is a competitor who wants those reps in. Yet, the staff must be smart about how they handle him and any other player. Practice has shown mixed results. Smith looked shaky on Wednesday with passes going off target, though he did hit one long touchdown. The delay on that throw would have been a sack in a real game. If Smith cannot go, Klubnik gets another shot to prove he belongs as the backup.
The Clock Is Ticking on Glenn
The stakes for this preseason are higher than usual. Glenn famously said last September that “big ships turn slow,” but the patience of owner Woody Johnson might be running thin. Look at any list of “coaches on the hot seat” and Glenn’s name sits right at the top. The Jets went 3-14 in his first year, and the team was non-competitive down the stretch. A slow start this season could bring the pressure to a boiling point very fast.
The schedule is brutal. Week 1 defeat by the Titans would amplify the criticism, then come difficult contests versus the Packers, Lions, and Bears. None of those games will see the Jets listed as favorites. Glenn has to get this right, or the talk of his job security will turn into a roar. He acknowledged that making the right decision on playing guys is tough, but he has to be the one to make it. “It is, but I think the thing that we do quite a bit is make sure we have game intensity in practice, and I think our guys do a really good job of that,” Glenn said.
Smith has practiced all three days this week, showing no major limitations in drills. The team also held out several other veterans like Tim Patrick and David Onyemata to manage their workload. The defense is already getting looks, with safety Dane Belton making a nice play to break up a pass to Garrett Wilson.
