Geno Smith is back where his NFL story started, and early word from training camp suggests he hasn’t lost a step. New York Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich said Friday that the 35-year-old quarterback still moves and throws like a much younger player, calling him “physically in his prime.”
“I don’t know how old he is. Isn’t he past 35?” Reich asked reporters before being told Smith’s actual age, according to NFL.com. “It feels like he’s 28. I’m telling you, it feels like physically, I see no … like, he is in his prime, physically.”
The Jets do not need Smith to hit peak form to justify the move. Owner Woody Johnson gave general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn a mandate to show real progress in year two, and this franchise has more incentive to win now than it did during last season’s 3-14 collapse. Still, Smith gives the Jets something they lacked a year ago: a starter with a track record of stability.
Smith is entering his second stint with the organization that drafted him in the second round back in 2013. His first run in New York was rocky — he completed just 57.9 percent of his passes and threw eight more interceptions than touchdowns across 33 games before losing his job. He spent time as a backup elsewhere, including a season on the Los Angeles Chargers where he attempted only one pass, before reviving his career in Seattle.
That reinvention was real. Smith won NFL Comeback Player of the Year with the Seahawks, made two Pro Bowls, and led the league in completion percentage during his best season there. But 2025 was a step back. Playing for the Las Vegas Raiders, he threw for 3,025 yards with 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions over 15 games — solid volume, but not the efficient, mistake-free version of Smith that made him a trusted starter in Seattle.
Reich, a Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator who previously served as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers, isn’t just talking up Smith’s physical tools. He’s praising his football IQ too. Per NFL.com, Reich said he graded Smith highly coming out of West Virginia in 2013 and still considers his throwing mechanics among the purest in the league. Reich also called Smith the clear leader of the offense, pointing to his focus as something that sets the tone for the rest of the unit.
Not everyone is convinced the praise means much yet. Yardbarker’s Chris Pownall noted that training camp optimism is a yearly ritual around the league, and that the real test for Smith is cutting down turnovers once games count.
Smith will have a favorable supporting cast to work with in Reich’s offense, including receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall. Whether the “prime” talk holds up will start to become clear once the Jets open preseason play.
