The New York Jets' general manager and head coach have spoken with quarterback Geno Smith about their expectations of players' on and off the field behavior in the wake two alleged off-the-field incidents involving the quarterback this young off season.
The latest flap came last month when Smith reportedly was thrown off a plane at LAX after quarreling with a flight attendant. In another incident, an Atlanta woman claimed she had an affair with the Roc Nation client and posted lewd photos on Instagram she alleged were of the Jets' quarterback.
Speaking to reporters during Super Bowl Week, Jets GM John Idzik admitted he and coach Rex Ryan had spoken with Smith about handling his growing celebrity.
"We hold our players to a high standard -- on the field and off the field," Idzik told ESPN. "That's part of acting like a Jet. It's not only playing like a Jet, it's acting like a Jet. Everyone understands that."
Although Virgin Airlines, the aircraft carrier Smith had all his issues with, has since apologized and called the incident a "misunderstanding that regrettably escalated unnecessarily," Idzik added "when you're a quarterback in the NFL and you're a quarterback for a franchise in a big market such as New York, all eyes are on you 24/7. I think Geno is experiencing this first-hand. Obviously, I've kept in close contact with him. This is part of learning how to deal with these things."
According to ESPN, Smith later acknowledged that he spoke with team brass about the incidents.
"Rex basically explained that he and I, because of the position we're in -- head coach and quarterback -- we're looked at differently," Smith told ESPN. "I understand and I knew that prior to the conversation, but it's always good to get more light from him. He was understanding, so it was all good."
While insisting he understands the situation, Smith hinted that he doesn't plan to allow it to change the core of who he is.
"It's not a big deal," he told ESPN. "I just have to continue to do things that got me here, which is be myself. I'm not a trouble maker, I'm not a bad person and I don't do things that get me in trouble."
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