Just a mention of Geno Smith reportedly draws boos from Jets fans
Fans chant 'We Want Fitz' at town hall meeting with Jets owner and coach
By
Will Brinson
•
2 min read
Jets fans aren't scared to let the world know how they're feeling. And they are apparently not feeling Geno Smith as starter for the 2016 season.
With the rubber-chicken slap fight of negotiations between the team and Ryan Fitzpatrick serving as a backdrop, the Jets had a town hall featuring owner Woody Johnson, coach Todd Bowles and GM Mike Maccagnan this past Wednesday. They brought 1,000 season-ticket holders for the event and interaction with the front office/ownership/coaches.
According to Rich Cimini of ESPN, there was much talk of quarterbacks and, as a result, much booing when it came to Geno:
Media weren't allowed to attend, but eyewitnesses tell me the Q&A portion was dominated by the Fitzpatrick contract standoff -- pretty much like at Jets news conferences.
Apparently the crowd let its feelings be known. Smith was booed when his name was mentioned by Bowles, I'm told. Earlier in the program, there was a "We Want Fitz" chant among some fans. One thing about Jets' fans: They're not shy about expressing their opinion.
So that's not great news for the Jets.
Not that it really matters what fans think in June if the team can manage to win once September comes around, but the lingering issue of the distaste for Geno is a bit of a problem for a couple of reasons.
One, it makes Fitzpatrick's leverage more obvious. The Jets need him and he needs the Jets. Why these two won't kiss and make up over a $12 million steak dinner is just beyond me (or anyone else for that matter). It shouldn't be this hard to figure out a contract between the two sides.
And two, it shows just how little patience the fans plan on having with this team if Geno ends up being the starter with Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg behind him. There's still reason to believe Geno could replicate 75 percent of Fitzpatrick's season last year (right??) and the Jets could be good without their 2016 starter, but there's also a reason to believe that trio of quarterbacks could be a total disaster.
Hackenberg simply won't be ready to play in 2016, which is something Cimini also covered:
... He looks like a typical rookie. His passes are fluttering, his footwork is robotic and he tends to miss high when he misses a receiver. In last Wednesday's practice, he sailed two consecutive 15-yard passes over the head of a tight end -- against air. That's right, there was no defense. He had a couple of nice moments later in a two-minute drill, but it wasn't a great practice.
"Right now I expect him to look sloppy because he's seeing a whole boat load of defenses that are coming at him daily, and there's going to be a growth period," said Bowles, adding that he expects Hackenberg to be more comfortable in training camp.
The Jets probably still believe Fitzpatrick is going to end up starting for them in 2016. But there should at least be a growing sense of concern about the situation under center.
