Jets quarterback Geno Smith admits he’s still angry about how former teammate IK Enemkpali might have wrecked his 2015 season by breaking his jaw with a sucker punch, and recently discussed the trying weeks since he was attacked.
Ryan Fitzpatrick is 1-0 in his place, and already has developed a rapport with wide receiver Brandon Marshall. Smith said there’s no sense of rivalry between him and Fitzpatrick though, even if he might have ceded the starting job to him without being outplayed in camp.
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"You want to say, OK, it's Fitz's team? But that's kind of pinning me and him against each other. We're all in this thing together. It's a collective bond, and it was that way when I was projected the starter and when I got hurt it was that way. And right now it's the same way,” Smith said.
Even if Smith heals more quickly than expected, he has reportedly dropped eight pounds since being punched. Smith told Newsday that he sometimes jokes about how skinny he looks when he passes by a mirror, and occasionally needs pep talks from Marshall, or coaches Chan Gailey and Todd Bowls to keep his spirits up. He also said he’s “extremely pissed” about how this has all gone down.
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“Emotionally, it’s tough. But I’ve been getting good support in the locker room with the guys. Brandon [Marshall] has been on of the guys who’s always been in my corner and has been picking me up every day, if he sees me down. Cause it’s natural to kind of get down.
“You want to play, you want to be out there. But he’s keeping my spirits high and coach Bowles and Chan [Gailey], they put things in perspective for me. The key thing is, I’ve got to get healthy.”
If Fitzpatrick can continue to play with a steady hand, there won’t be a rush to re-install Smith as the starter. He was benched at one point in 2014, and has thrown 25 touchdowns against 34 interceptions in two seasons. His record as the Jets starter is a meager 11-18.
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