FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Frank Reich had to think for a second while raving — again — about Geno Smith, pondering the New York Jets quarterback's age.
“I don't know how old he is. Isn't he past 35?,” the offensive coordinator asked Friday before being told Smith is actually 35. “It feels like he's 28. I'm telling you, it feels like physically, I see no ... like, he is in his prime, physically.”
Not bad for a quarterback entering his 14th NFL season, a journey that began as a second-round draft pick of the Jets in 2013 and has included several ups and downs on the field along the way.
“Like his arm, the way he moves, his feet in the pocket, he’s physically in his prime,” said Reich, in his first season running the Jets' offense. “So he takes great care of himself and that’s going to help this team.”
New York certainly hopes so. The Jets acquired Smith in the offseason from Las Vegas to add a veteran quarterback to an offense that struggled mightily during a 3-14 season. The Jets ranked last or near the bottom in several offensive categories as the likes of Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor and Brady Cook took turns calling the signals for then-coordinator Tanner Engstrand. Their 8 yards per completion was the lowest mark in the NFL, and that's something that's expected to improve significantly.
Smith has always been able to stretch the field, especially during three straight seasons of at least 3,500 yards passing in Seattle from 2022-24. He threw for 3,025 last year in a down season with Las Vegas that included an NFL-leading 17 interceptions.
Back with the Jets, Smith has had a mostly good training camp. And he has thoroughly impressed Reich, who said during minicamp that the quarterback has an “elite” football mind. Reich was back gushing about Smith on Friday.
“Geno’s the leader,” Reich said. "He’s the leader of the offense, make no mistake about it, in every way, shape and form. And to me, what has become crystal clear in this early time in training camp, the attribute that sticks out to me is his laser focus. This man is laser focused like people don’t understand. Like, he comes to work and he is locked in.
“And I feel like the whole offense plays off of that. That’s a really big deal.”
Reich has seen what leadership looks like from a quarterback. He was a longtime backup to Jim Kelly as a player and has coached Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, Andrew Luck and Matt Ryan.
The offensive coordinator also knows what good quarterback play looks like. And he sees all of that in Smith, granted, still in the protected, no-contact confines of training camp.
“I remember when he was coming out (of college), I had a high grade on him,” Reich said. “His throwing mechanics, if I'm just talking pure upper-body mechanics, they're pure. There's only a couple guys in the league that I would say are pure. Geno's one of them.”
Smith has also been drawing positive reviews from his teammates, who have praised his leadership since re-joining the Jets.
“Geno is a legend to guys like me,” fifth-year tight end Jelani Woods said. “He’s been in the league for a long time. You look up to him, just the professionalism he has, it’s something that you look into and he’s one of those guys that you go up to and talk to him at any time. He sits with you at the lunch table, he sits with anybody at the lunch table and you just have a simple conversation with him and just talk about life outside of football.
"And, you know, stuff like that goes a long way.”
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