Getty New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh talking with some of his players during an NFL game.
The New York Jets might be willing to get crazy this offseason.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated revealed in a column posted on Monday, February 27 that the team is “exploring” the idea of “bringing back” Geno Smith.
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Breer confirmed that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers “under the right circumstances” would be the team’s “first choice.” However, he said this offseason isn’t “Aaron-or-bust” for the team and they’re “exploring everything.”
One of those options would be bringing back a player that the Jets once drafted in Geno Smith. In 2013 he was the No. 39 overall pick in the second round out of West Virginia.
He is now 32 years of age and just delivered a unique career season in year No. 9.
Smith won the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award and led Seattle to the playoffs. He completed 69.8 percent of his passes, had a 30 touchdown to 11 interception ratio, and threw for 4,282 passing yards.
Now the veteran is set to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason if he doesn’t receive the franchise tag from the Seahawks.
The Seattle brass of general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll have only used the franchise tag twice in their 13 offseasons together, per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic.
If he isn’t tagged, Spotrac’s market value projections believe Smith can command a two-year deal for $78 million in free agency. That $39.3 million average salary would make him the No. 9 highest-paid quarterback in football, per Over The Cap.
Smith lasted four seasons with the Jets and had an unceremonious exit that was highlighted by a broken jaw that stole headlines.
After his Jets tenure, Smith took the walk of shame going from one organization to the next as a backup quarterback until he finally got his chance at redemption.
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Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic revealed on the Can’t-Wait Podcast that he heard from someone inside the Jets building that they have “as many as 19 quarterbacks on the list that they’re studying to see how they’d fit here.”
.@ZackBlatt heard from someone inside the #Jets building that they have ‘as many as 19 quarterbacks on the list that they’re studying to see how they’d fit here’ 😳: 🎥 Can’t Wait Pod #TakeFlight
It would be a crazy Hollywood script if Smith who was drafted by the Jets, left and found success elsewhere, then came back and completed the story by returning to New York.
Despite the awkward ending between Smith and the Jets, it doesn’t seem like there is any bad blood between the two.
In Week 17 of the 2022 season the Jets traveled to Seattle to play the Seahawks. Leading up to the game Smith was peppered with questions about facing his old team.
After Seattle dismantled the Jets winning 23-6, Smith went out of his way to praise his old team in the post-game presser.
“I’m actually grateful for being drafted to the NFL by the Jets, and although things weren’t perfect there, there were some good times. There are some people still there I hold dear to my heart.”
Would Smith want to come back to New York? Could this be a tag-and-trade? Will the former West Virginia product make it to free agency?
So many questions and so few answers. The one thing we do know is the Jets would be open to it and that may be more surprising than anything.