IK Enemkpali punched Jets quarterback Geno Smith on Tuesday because Smith had failed to repay Enemkpali the $600 that Enemkpali believed Smith owed him, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, who cited "league sources" in his report. Smith suffered a broken jaw from the fight and is expected to be out 6 to 10 weeks.
Schefter, who posted his report to his Facebook page, wrote that Enemkpali had bought Smith a plane ticket to travel to Enemkpali's football camp in Texas. But Smith didn't make it to Enemkpali's camp, which was scheduled for July 11, because of personal reasons.
According to Schefter, Enemkpali wanted Smith to repay the money that he spent on the plane ticket. After Enemkpali didn't receive the money, he confronted Smith. Eventually, Enemkpali broke Smith's jaw.
It's not that Geno Smith didn't pay back IK Enemkpali. He just didn't do it yet. He intended to pay him back, per sources. Just not in time.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 11, 2015
After the incident, the Jets released Enemkpali.
"You don't get another opportunity when you sucker punch a QB and break his jaw," Jets coach Todd Bowles said.
Enemkpali has since apologized for the fight, releasing a statement through his representative.
"I apologize to the Jets organization, coaches, teammates and fans," he said in the statement. "Geno and I let our frustration get the best of us, but I should have just walked away from the situation. I deeply regret and apologize for my actions. It was never my intention to harm anyone. I appreciate the opportunity I had with the Jets."
You can read Schefter's full report here.
