Geno Smith struggled mightily during the 2025 season. He led the league in interceptions (17) and was the most-sacked quarterback in football (55). The Las Vegas Raiders finished with a 3-14 record and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
So who was responsible?
“Going through all the offseason and camp, I thought Geno was going to be f—ing great,” Super Bowl winning head coach Pete Carroll admitted to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. “Geno has earned my backing because he is a baller. It isn’t too big for him. When he was a pup with Jets the first time (2013-16) and they got their [expletive] kicked, it was not his fault. And it was not his fault with the Raiders, either. We weren’t good enough, and we didn’t prepare him well enough for the rigors of the season. His talent showed.”
Carroll, 74, was hired as the head coach of the Raiders last offseason after a year away from football. He signed a three-year deal. However, after the disastrous 2025 campaign, he was one-and-done, getting fired by Las Vegas.
The Biggest Question
Ahead of the 2026 season, the biggest question for the Jets is: will the real Geno Smith please stand up?
The 2025 campaign was an epic disaster. Was that a sign of things to come? Or the result of a dysfunctional situation that no quarterback could have survived. The Jets clearly think it was the latter, and so does Carroll, for that matter.
During the offseason, the Jets reunited Smith with some of his teammates in Las Vegas. One of those is offensive lineman Dylan Parham, who joined the team on a two-year deal with a maximum value of $20 million in free agency.
“I think he has a good vibe,” Parham told The Post. “It’s good to have an organization that feels confident in you, that talks life into you. I think he feels that and feels that his teammates are confident in him — seeing him make the plays he does at practice.”
People outside of the building may not believe Smith is about to turn back the clock, but he has believers among his teammates and, most importantly, on the coaching staff.
“I don’t know how old he is. Isn’t he past 35?,” offensive coordinator Frank Reich asked Friday before being told Smith is actually 35 via the Associated Press. “It feels like he’s 28. I’m telling you, it feels like physically, I see no … like, he is in his prime, physically.”
“Like his arm, the way he moves, his feet in the pocket, he’s physically in his prime,” said Reich, in his first season running the Jets’ offense via the Associated Press. “So he takes great care of himself and that’s going to help this team.”
Turn Back the Clock
The Smith with the Seattle Seahawks looked nothing like the one in Las Vegas.
Smith had three incredibly productive seasons. He either did things that a Jets quarterback has never done in a single season (throw for over 4,100 passing yards) or only one quarterback has done (throw 30 passing touchdowns in a single season).
If the Jets get that type of player in 2026, the team has the ability to shock the world. This offense has playmakers and protection; they just need someone who can take advantage of it.
If the offseason is any indication of what’s to come, Smith could deliver one of the best QB seasons in franchise history.
Super Bowl Winning HC Takes Blame for Geno Smith Struggles