FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The New York Jets spent a lot of money and draft capital in the offseason to rebuild their broken team, and there is no question they have a lot more talent than they had last year. But when they got a first look at their retooled roster in a competitive setting on Tuesday morning, it served mostly as a reminder of the one thing they still don’t have. And that, as always, is a viable quarterback.
As much as they’d like to believe the second time will be the charm for Geno Smith, the Jets’ joint practice against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wasn’t a good omen at all. The 35-year-old Smith struggled against a Bucs' defense that Jets coach Aaron Glenn admitted was "a scheme that’s difficult to deal with." He was 10-of-16 in team drills, was sacked way too often, and was picked off twice (though Bucs linebacker Josiah Trotter couldn’t hold on to the second one). He was also picked off once in 7-on-7 drills, where veteran quarterbacks are usually flawless.
It’s early in the summer, of course, and Smith has had a generally good camp up to this point. But he remains the glaring Achilles heel on the improved roster that Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey assembled. There is a lot to love about this group.
They have electric skill players, like wide receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall, a strong offensive line, a big and veteran-heavy defense, and a rookie edge rusher (David Bailey) who has looked sensational all summer long. In fact, the Jets stack up pretty well with the Bucs up and down the roster — except at the most important spot. The Bucs have Baker Mayfield at quarterback, and while he’s hardly a flawless starter.
He’s a capable one who averaged 4,079 passing yards in his three seasons in Tampa. Smith threw for a lot of yards in Seattle two seasons ago (4,320), but his most glaring stat is the 32 interceptions he’s thrown in the last two years. And for the Jets, that really is a tradition like any other.
They have been locked in a perpetual quarterback search for as long as most of their fans have been alive. It has been eight years since Smith’s last start with the Jets in 2016. The Jets have had 14 different starting quarterbacks in that time.
But even a mid-level quarterback like Mayfield with this group of Jets and they might have a realistic chance of ending their astonishing and NFL-worst 15-year playoff drought. But Smith, once a promising second-round pick who was thought to be the Jets' quarterback of the future, is just more of the same at this point. He’s a reminder that this lost franchise won’t be fully restored until they finally get the quarterback position right.
Players To Watch Bain, the 15th overall pick in the draft, was much quieter. He was hardly noticeable, to be honest. But he still had a couple of impressive moments, mostly while making plays against the run.
He clearly showed his speed to track down Jets running backs before they could turn the corner. He’s got the ability to be a top pass rusher too, even if it wasn’t on display against the Jets. Bailey was the star of the practice, consistently wrecking the Bucs’ offensive line and blowing up plays in the backfield.
His speed, power and explosiveness are going to make him one of the best pass rushers in the NFL over the next few years. The two of them could easily be Pro Bowlers a year or two down the road, if not sooner. And both will be on aggressive defenses, playing for defensive-minded coaches eager to turn them loose.
"I have a rule: If you’re over 240, I ain’t messing with you. … When I see a fight happen, that’s my water break." — Jets running back Breece Hall on why he didn’t get involved in any of the MANY fights between the Jets and Buccaneers players during their joint practice on Tuesday. Bucs: Contenders Jets: Not so much Calling the Bucs contenders is a no-brainer, considering they tied for first in their division with an 8-9 record last season. There's no reason they shouldn’t be at least a little better.
If they get better health from running back Bucky Irving and wide receiver Chris Godwin, and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is OK after slamming into the rookie wall last year, they should piece together enough offense even with wide receiver Mike Evans gone. And once defensive tackle Vita Vea’s contract dispute is over, Todd Bowles’ defense still has a bunch of good pieces, especially if linebackers Ruben Bain and Josiah Trotter — their first two picks in the draft — are as good as the Bucs expect. The Bucs could easily be a nine-win team, and in the NFC South that might be more than enough.
The Jets, though, won’t have nearly enough. They have a lot of excellent pieces, like Wilson, Hall, the offensive line, Bailey, and a veteran-heavy defense. But they are not deep, and the quarterback position is still a huge problem.
Smith will be a lot better than last year’s original starting quarterback, Justin Fields, but that’s not saying much. Smith’s history is that for every one good thing he does, he counteracts it with a bad thing. So expect moments of promise and maybe even brilliance, followed by a game-killing bad decision or interception.
In all, the Jets should be more competitive and better than they were last season. But again, the bar is very, very low. Maybe they can squeeze out six wins, if everything breaks right.
But by Thanksgiving, their eyes will be laser-focused on the quarterbacks coming out in the 2027 NFL Draft. The Washington Commanders will be hosting the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday for a joint practice. They’ll practice just once before their preseason game on Friday, which marks the debut of new Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley.
