Geno Smith Returning to the First Team That Wrote Him Off Is Storybook…Sort Of
Geno Smith built his entire comeback story around one sentence.
“They wrote me off, I ain’t write back though.”
It came after the Seahawks beat Russell Wilson and the Broncos during Geno’s first season opener as Seattle’s starting quarterback. In one line he summed up a decade of bouncing around the league, getting written off, and finally proving people wrong.
Now, nearly half a decade later, Geno is returning to the first “they” that wrote him off — the New York Jets.
As reported by ESPN, the Jets are trading a 6th Round Pick to the Raiders in exchange for Geno Smith and a 7th. To facilitate the trade, Geno agreed to restructure his contract so the Raiders will absorb a majority of the 2026 payout. Before restructuring, Geno Smith had a guaranteed $18 Million remaining on his deal. Details of the new contract haven’t been released yet.
At first glance, the move feels like something out of a football movie.
Smith, who the Jets originally selected 39th overall in the 2013 NFL Draft, texted Ian Rapoport after the trade saying:
“Complete full circle moment back to where it all began. I’m excited to connect with my new teammates and coaches and everyone in the building as well as build a new relationship with the fan base and community.”
If Geno somehow wins in New York, it would complete the ultimate redemption arc — proving the Jets never should have let him go in the first place.
Then again, winning a Super Bowl somewhere else could’ve done that too. (Looking at you, Sam Darnold.)
Here’s the thing I hate to say — because haven’t Jets fans been through enough?
I have absolutely no faith that this will work.
Geno is coming off his worst statistical season since 2014. The quarterback who won Comeback Player of the Year in 2022 has thrown 40 touchdowns and 32 interceptions over the past two seasons.
One of those seasons came with DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba at receiver… plus the 2025 Super Bowl MVP at running back.
The Jets don’t have half that firepower.
Nobody loves a comeback story more than me. And Seattle being the catalyst for the revival of both Geno Smith and Sam Darnold is genuinely one of the more fun storylines in the NFL over the past few years.
But unless the Jets have something up their sleeve, I’m struggling to see what New York is about to give Geno Smith that Seattle — or Las Vegas last season — couldn’t.
And if that’s the case…
this “storybook ending” might turn into the same Jets tragedy we’ve seen for the last 50 years.