One year ago, quarterback Geno Smith sat atop the depth chart with the Jets. Then came a sucker punch from IK Enemkpali, a jaw broken in two places, and a permanent spot on the bench for 2015 -- and possibly 2016.
Reminded on Tuesday that Thursday will be the one-year anniversary of the incident, Smith said it feels like it happened 10 or 20 years ago.
“I don’t think about it,” Smith said, via Brian Costello of the New York Post. “It was a crazy situation, a life-defining moment. It could go one of two ways – it could make you or it could break you. It hasn’t broken me. It won’t break me ever. A situation like that won’t change my demeanor or my attitude. I know who I am. I know what I can do. I’m just trusting my instincts. I know I’ll get back in there. I just have to stay focused and keep believing and working hard and when I do, I’ll be ready for it.”
Before Smith can get back in there, he needs to get past Ryan Fitzpatrick, who instantly was reinstalled as the starter after he finally signed a new contract on the eve of camp.
“I’m still pissed off,” Smith said, adding that the situation fuels him on a daily basis. “That’s not going to change until I get back into the saddle. I do have an understanding that it’s a team game. You do have to be respectful of your coaches and your teammates and you’ve also got to support them. That’s what I’ve been doing, all the while still progressing myself.”
Still, he has to sit on the bench. And Smith doesn’t like that very much.
“Can I sit here and say it’s not tough? Of course it’s tough,” Smith said. “Sometimes I hate it. Sometimes it sucks. But the one thing I do is I stay focused. I don’t let my circumstances dictate my attitude. I try and be the same guy no matter what. Up or down, good or bad, I try to stay level-headed.”
Only 25, Smith has plenty of time to change his circumstances. If he doesn’t play in 2016, his best chance may come in March, when his contract with the Jets expires and he becomes a free agent.
