Jets Name Geno Smith the Starter, Sparing Everyone the Saddest QB Competition Ever

To all the Jets fans giddy about the Brandon Marshall trade, and the return of Revis and Cromartie, and a strong draft highlighted by the addition of USC star Leonard Williams, the fun is over: The team has announced that Geno Smith will be the starting QB come September, and there won’t be a QB competition.

Ryan Fitzpatrick? Mr. Harvard? He came to New York thinking that reuniting with his offensive coordinator in Buffalo, Chan Gailey – Fitzptrick threw 23 TDs in 2010, then started 2011 with 11 TDs in four games, leading to an unbelievable “$59 million contract” (no, he didn’t get that much) – might lead to one last shot at being a starting QB in the NFL.

But no, Gailey and Todd Bowles have decided to give Geno Smith one final shot with the Jets. That’s easy for them – neither was here and had to endure his first two seasons: 25 TDs, 34 INTs, 16 fumbles, sacked 71 times, and a paltry 6.9 YPA. From start to finish, an unmitigated disaster.

Thing is, I’m done being angry about the Jets’ struggles the last four years. I had a moment of Zen when the Titans took Marcus Mariota in the draft, and that’s when it hit me: New York is in better shape than it was last year at every position except QB, which means a 6-10 season looms, perhaps 7-9 at best.

(Yes, I believe Mariota could have been successful as a rookie with the Jets; I don’t think he will be in Tennessee.)

The Jets haven’t had a QB since Mark Sanchez walked off the field in Pittsburgh in 2011 when they lost the AFC Championship game. If you were never a fan of Sanchez, then maybe you have to go back to the first 10 games of the Brett Favre era. But that ended so poorly, maybe you have go back to Chad Pennington. His arm not do it for you? How about that fossil Vinny Testeverde for a year? Fine, Ken O’Brien. Everybody loved Ken O’Brien’s gaudy stats for a couple years in the mid-80s!

So how do the Jets get a QB? That’s the question Bowles will have to grapple with until he lands one. Any team that has a decent QB locks them up. Cincinnati fans are frustrated with Andy Dalton; the Jets would welcome Dalton with open arms.

My guess is that the Jets will have to give up Mohammad Wilkerson and their 2016 1st round pick (and perhaps more) to move into the Top 5 next year and find their future QB.

The free agent market, once again, will be completely barren.