Jets coach Aaron Glenn makes bold claim about Geno Smith’s second stint
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Despite leading the NFL in interceptions during his tumultuous season with the Raiders, Geno Smith appears poised to lead the New York Jets to new heights in his second round, at least according to his coach.
While Smith’s reunion with the team that drafted him was seen as a short-term answer to the team’s quarterback questions, head coach Aaron Glenn has suggested he is the right quarterback to end the Jets’ league-leading playoff drought.
“I feel like he’s the guy to take us to the promised land,” Glenn told reporters Tuesday at the NFL’s annual meeting in Arizona.
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New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn during a game against the Denver Broncos on October 12, 2025 in London. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
The Jets won just three games last season and haven’t reached the postseason since 2010. Smith returns after making 17 tackles against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Smith found some success until his move to Las Vegas, earning his second straight Pro Bowl selection in 2023 with the Seattle Seahawks. After missing the playoffs in 2024, he was traded to the Raiders.
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Glenn acknowledged the ups and downs of Smith’s career.
“Listen, I know he’s going through difficulties too,” he said. “I think a lot of quarterbacks have their own struggles.
New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith passes the ball against the Baltimore Ravens during a game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on October 23, 2016. (Al Pereira/Getty Images)
“But I do know this: He understands exactly what happened last year. I don’t want to get too much into it because obviously I wasn’t there with the Raiders. But I know this, man, there are some things he knows he can fix. He’s wrong on some of them, but there are some things he knows will get better, and I can’t wait for him to do that.”
The 2027 NFL Draft quarterback class continues to be highly regarded. But Glenn doubled down on his belief in Smith and the current situation as “the perfect guy that fits exactly what we’re going to do” from an offensive standpoint.
Geno Smith (7) of the Las Vegas Raiders walks on the field after halftime of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium on January 04, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
“I think he will create some damage because of his arm talent,” Glenn continued. “And man, he’s so advanced in terms of intelligence and IDs and protection and stuff like that.”
Smith, who had 21 interceptions against 12 touchdowns in his rookie year, tied the touchdown-to-interception ratio by scoring 13 touchdowns in each category in 2014. Smith was sidelined for several weeks in 2015 after suffering a broken jaw following an altercation with a teammate. After continuing to play erratically, he eventually lost his job permanently.
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Glenn said the Jets evaluated Smith’s history before the trade but concluded it “wasn’t going to hurt us as an organization.” He added that Smith welcomed the return, calling it a “full circle moment”.
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