Who Should I Start? Geno Smith or Matt Barkley

Wednesday, May 6, 5:27 PM

New York Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich said that veteran quarterback Geno Smith is the "perfect fit" for his offense, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN. "I feel his resilience, his toughness," Reich said. The Jets swung and missed with their free-agent acquisition of QB Justin Fields last year, so this year they acquired Smith from the Las Vegas Raiders after he was one of the worst starting signal-callers in the league in 2025. Perhaps they're hoping the 35-year-old veteran can lead the Jets to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 draft like he did for the Raiders this year. The former second-rounder by the Jets in 2013 out of West Virginia made back-to-back Pro Bowls in 2022 and 2023 with the Seattle Seahawks, but he went 2-13 in his 15 starts for the Raiders in 2025, throwing for 3,025 yards, 19 touchdowns, and a league-high 17 interceptions. He also took the most sacks of any QB with 55. Smith will start for the Jets in Week 1, but we wouldn't be surprised if he was benched sooner rather than later. At best, he's a QB3 option in superflex fantasy leagues for the 2026 campaign despite the Jets adding some weaponry to their offense in this year's draft in the form of tight end Kenyon Sadiq and receiver Omar Cooper Jr.