Geno Smith's first snaps in a Jets uniform since New York drafted him back in 2016 are going to have to wait. The QB, whom the Jets acquired from the Raiders in March for just a sixth-round pick, is being held out of Friday night's preseason opener against the Buccaneers with foot soreness that popped up during a joint practice with Tampa Bay earlier in the week.
The injury itself sounds minor. Jets head coach Aaron Glenn told reporters he's keeping Smith out purely as a precaution and that the QB would've suited up if this were a real regular-season game. "Keeping him out for precautionary reasons, but he'll be just fine," Glenn said, framing this as load management for a 35-year-old veteran rather than anything to actually worry about.
Still, the timing stings a little. This preseason opener was supposed to be Smith's welcome-home moment — his first real look under center for the franchise that drafted him nearly a decade ago, after stints with the Giants, Chargers, Seahawks and, most recently, a rough 2-13 season as the Raiders' starter that ended with 3,025 yards, 19 touchdowns and 17 picks. Instead, the crowd got a rookie under center for the debut instead of the guy they traded for.
None of that changes the plan for Smith long-term. He's still Aaron Glenn's guy heading into the regular season, and a sore ankle in mid-August is exactly the kind of thing teams shrug off rather than chase headlines about. But with the Jets trying to figure out their quarterback room behind him and evaluate depth pieces in these preseason reps, every game Smith misses is one more game where the backups are the ones actually auditioning.
Fantasy managers doing their homework this month should file this one away — not as a red flag, but as a reminder that Smith's Jets tenure is officially underway, sore ankle and all. Expect updates on his practice status heading into the next preseason outing as New York ramps toward Week 1.