Geno Smith is the latest quarterback to join the New York Jets depth chart, and despite sliding to the second round, Smith is still expecting to come in and compete for the starting job right away.
Geno Smith ready to compete for Jets starting quarterback job
No one knows how the Jets quarterback situation will shake out, but Geno Smith said he’s ready to compete for the starting job. Will he open the year as the Jets starter?
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New York took Smith with the seventh pick of the second round, adding him to a quarterback competition that currently includes Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow, David Garrard and Greg McElroy. Rookie quarterbacks took the NFL by storm last season, with five opening the season as the starter, and Smith is preparing to compete from day one.
During his introductory press conference, Smith said the Jets haven’t guaranteed him anything other than being on the team, but he said he is coming in with the mentality that he is competing for the starting job.
“I just want to come in and compete,” Smith said. “I’m going to come in with the right mentality, as I stated. I’m a competitor and I’m going to accept my role on the team, whatever is handed to me, but my job is to compete day in and day out.”
He said he thinks he can be a franchise quarterback in the NFL. If he’s going to win the starting job he will likely have to supplant Sanchez, who started 62 of 64 games during his career despite being heavily scrutinized. Smith said he has never met Sanchez, but is looking forward to competing against him.
“I love to compete,” Smith said. “Mark is a guy who I watched at USC, I watched him in the NFL, and I think highly of him as well as Tim and all of those guys over there. As I said, I’m coming in as a rookie and I’m going to compete and I’m also going to accept my role whatever it is.”
With so much uncertainty in New York, Smith may be the most secure of any of the quarterbacks currently on the roster.
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