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Despite leading the NFL in interceptions during a turbulent season with the Raiders, Geno Smith appears poised to take the New York Jets to new heights in his second stint, at least according to his coach.
While Smith’s reunion with the team that drafted him is widely seen as a short-term answer to the team’s questions about quarterbacks, head coach Aaron Glenn suggested he is the right quarterback to end the Jets’ league-leading playoff drought.
“I just feel like he’s the guy that’s going 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 made the postseason since 2010. Smith returns after throwing 17 interceptions with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Smith had some success before moving to Las Vegas, earning a 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 you had your struggles,” he said. “I think a lot of quarterbacks have their struggles.
New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith passes the ball against the Baltimore Ravens during a game at MetLife Stadium on October 23, 2016, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (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 do know there are some things he knows he can fix. He’s at fault for some of them, but there are some things he knows he’s going to get better at, and I hope he does.”
The 2027 NFL Draft quarterback class remains highly touted. However, Glenn redoubled his commitment to the present and his belief in Smith 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 a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium on January 4, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
“I think he’s going to do some damage because of the arm talent,” Glenn continued. “And, man, he’s grown a lot in terms of his intelligence, in terms of identifications, in terms of protection and things like that.”
After throwing 21 interceptions to 12 touchdowns in his rookie year, Smith matched his touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2014, throwing 13 in each category. A broken jaw suffered in an altercation with a teammate sidelined Smith for several weeks in 2015. After continued uneven play, he eventually lost his job permanently.
Glenn said the Jets considered Smith’s history before the trade but concluded it would not be “a detriment to us as an organization.” He added that Smith welcomed the return, calling it a “coming full circle moment.”
