New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith bothered by Ryan Fitzpatrick questions despite the fact he needs to bide time and wait his turn.
It can’t go down like this. It just can’t.Understanding that competitors want to compete, NFL players will always fight for their chance to shine. This directly applies to New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith.
Having said that, his reaction today simply won’t fly with fans and management.
When a player starts to get snippy in response to reporter questions, all hell will reign down upon him.
When asked about free agent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in the locker room following day two of OTAs, Geno seemed to become agitated.
According to Seth Walder of the New York Daily News, this is what Geno had to say following reporter questions in relation to bearded Harvard graduate:
“That’s up to the front office. Why would I speak on that?” Smith said.
Because you are teammates, a reporter replied.
“He’s not my teammate as of right now, but I hear what you’re saying,” Smith said.
When the reporter tried to ask other questions during the session, Smith interrupted each time, saying “next question” before eventually saying, “Anybody else got a question?”
Geno added this after a few more exchanges:
“Every player in the NFL I think deserves a fair opportunity,” Smith said. “Whether or not that’s the case, who knows. I believe I do have an opportunity here and I’ve just got to take advantage of it.”
Smith is, indeed, in a tough spot. He’s currently the acting starting quarterback of the Jets, yet the single-season franchise record holder for touchdowns passes is expected to walk through those doors any moment.
Moreover, knowing that Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty are fully entrenched as clipboard holders, Smith seems to be the odd man out if or when Fitzpatrick is brought into the fold.
Quite frankly, it doesn’t matter.
Not even the most talented of players get opportunities at times. Geno not only started for the Jets the first two seasons, but was awarded the starting position heading into 2015.
Purely based on the IK Enemkpali situation, Geno Smith needs to patiently wait his turn.
Getting snippy at the 100th Fitzpatrick question won’t help his cause. In fact, it’ll just hurt it. Unfortunately for him, Smith needs to continue going about his business quietly and smile the entire way through.
Fitz being on the roster or not makes no difference. It’s a unique situation in which most believe both sides (Fitz, Jets) are still in love with each other.