As is often the case for most teams, the Jets' wide receivers and other members of the passing game will be getting together prior to the start of training camp later this summer. Led by team newcomer Brandon Marshall, members of the offense will be meeting in the Chicago area to undergo a series of workouts together.
Joining them will be quarterback Geno Smith. And, according to Smith, he won't be joined by Ryan Fitzpatrick or Bryce Petty -- it'll be just him.
"I'll probably be the only [quarterback] there," Smith said, via The New York Post. "It's welcome to anyone who wants to come. It's not like I'm barring them from coming. If they want to they can be there too."
While unofficial offseason workouts carry less meaning than training camp, Fitzpatrick's absence could signal that Smith isn't expected to lose the support of the coaches and players anytime soon.
But, although Smith is the frontrunner for the Jets' starting job and has been since the beginning of the offseason, Fitzpatrick should be considered a real threat to Smith's job. Not only did Fitzpatrick put up some good numbers as the Texans' starter for much of last season, but he also has familiarity with the Jets' offensive system, having previously played for offensive coordinator Chan Gailey.
Which makes it at least somewhat odd that Fitzpatrick won't be attending the passing workouts, especially considering Brandon Marshall is in the fold. Marshall, a receiver who has heavily emphasized chemistry in the past (that's one reason why he and Jay Cutler were so successful together), appears to have struck a bond with Smith. At one point in the offseason, the two moved in together.
"He's a quarterback's best friend," Smith said. "He's a guy, for one, he's a veteran guy; he understands the game on and off the field; he's a beast of a player. You can't say enough good things about him."
Maybe Smith's relationship with Marshall is one reason why he doesn't "feel any pressure" to retain the starting job. Though, if Smith struggles like he has in his first two seasons in the league, he could be spending his time on the sideline. In Smith's two-year career, he's only completed 57.5 percent of his passes and he's tossed nine more interceptions than touchdowns.
Fitzpatrick isn't the Jets' long-term solution at quarterback, but he might be better than Smith. If anything, Fitzpatrick should probably bank on seeing at least some game action at some point this season.
