The Jets are bringing Geno Smith, their second-round pick in 2013, back to New York to be their bridge quarterback. Here’s a look at some of his best — and worst — moments from his first tenure:
Best moments
1. In his first NFL start Sept. 8, 2013, Geno Smith led Gang Green to an 18-17 win over the Buccaneers while throwing for 256 yards and his first career touchdown. Smith connected with tight end Kellen Winslow for a 7-yard touchdown pass with 34 seconds left in the second quarter.
2. Smith didn’t look like a rookie during the Jets’ Week 5 win over the Falcons in 2013.
He helped orchestrate the game-winning drive to set up Nick Folk for the game-winning field goal and ended the night with 16 completions for 199 yards and three touchdowns.
3. The Jets ended a miserable 2014 season with a win, and Smith capped off his second year with the organization by registering a perfect QB rating of 158.3 in a 37-24 win over the Dolphins in the season finale.
Worst moments
1. Smith got caught in quite a bit of tabloid tomfoolery in 2014, from being kicked off a Virgin Atlantic flight from Los Angeles to Florida, which the airline later chalked up to a “misunderstanding,” to cursing out a fan while walking off the field after a loss to the Lions in September 2014.
The “F–k You!” to the fan cost him $12,000, and, of course, there was the matter of blaming time-zone confusion for missing a team meeting in October of that year.
2. The wheels really started to come off for Smith in 2014 during the Week 8 loss to the Bills, which saw him throw three interceptions on consecutive drives in the first quarter and eventually led to him being pulled from the game.
He did not start for the next three weeks.
3. The punch Smith took from then-Jets defensive lineman IK Enemkpali has become the defining moment of his tenure in the Big Apple. Enemkpali punched the quarterback over $600 that Smith apparently owed the D-lineman. Enemkpali broke Smith’s jaw and opened the door for backup Ryan Fitzpatrick to take over as the Jets’ starter.
