Geno Smith could be out Saturday after struggling through practice with injury
New York Jets second-round rookie quarterback Geno Smith has to be the Jets starter when the regular season starts, and there really is no point in trying to act like this is a competition between Smith and Mark Sanchez. The Jets already know what they have in Sanchez, while they invested a high pick in Smith and need to see what they have in him as a rookie before re-evaluating things properly. Smith is currently dealing with a sprained ankle, and it is possible that the Jets aren’t handling it well.
New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) limps off the field after injuring his ankle in the third quarter of a preseason game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
According to ESPN New York’s Rich Cimini, Jets head coach Rex Ryan stated that Smith had a “brutal” practice today, and I’m sure that has to do with an ankle injury that isn’t really even close to being fully healed. I’m not sure if the Jets should be trotting Smith out there if the injury is hampering him that much, because it’s just practice and Smith is technically a significant investment being a second-round QB with starting expectations.
Mark Sanchez could once again start a preseason game in-name (there is no “real” starting QB in the preseason, let’s make that clear), and it is possible that Geno Smith won’t be able to play against the Jacksonville Jaguars. His ankle injury will have to be evaluated until Saturday’s game, but Rex Ryan thinks that it is possible Smith is out against the Jags.
From the New York Daily News, “Well, I guess, we’ll see how it goes. He’s been out their practicing, working through things… but that could be a possibility.”
Later quotes from Ryan seem to point another direction and that Geno Smith simply had an awful day at practice (everyone has them). I am convinced, though, that the injury is part of it, but it is possible that the Jets are in the right here. It seems like they don’t know exactly how severe Smith’s injury is, and it is possible that Smith wants to play through it. The most prudent move would be to rest the young QB and evaluate him closely, because it really looks like Smith is just slogging through drills whilst struggling with that sprained ankle. Let’s see if the injury is significant enough to cost him the game against Jacksonville, but things are cloudy at this point.