The Jets are turning to their quarterback past to make it through the present. The Jets sent the Las Vegas Raiders a sixth-round pick for former Jets quarterback Geno Smith, who was originally drafted by the Jets in 2013.
As part of the trade, Smith agreed to restructure his contract, and the Raiders are eating most of the deal. He had two years and $66 million remaining on his contract before the restructure. Now, the Raiders will pay him $16.2 million and the Jets are on the hook for $3.3 million.
Smith is the favorite to be the starter for the Jets in 2026. The team still has 2025 starter Justin Fields under contract, but they are expected to release him.
The expectation is the Jets will try to find their franchise quarterback in the 2027 draft when they have three first-round picks and the class is expected to be loaded, unlike this year. But they need to get through 2026 first, and that is where Smith’s return comes in.
Smith, 35, had one dismal season with the Raiders after finding success with the Seahawks in 2022 and 2023. He had 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions last year for Vegas in a tough situation where the offensive line was terrible, and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly was fired during the season.
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