Will Geno Smith be Jets starter after they acquire another quarterback?

One of the more remarkable storylines of the NFL offseason involves Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith completing a surprising return to the New York Jets, the team that employed him over his first four pro seasons (2013-16) but also gave up on him after that time. 

According to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic, the Jets are expected to "add another veteran to their quarterback room" at some point after the new league year opens at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday. 

Has Geno Smith been promised Jets' starting job?

"Free agent Carson Wentz is viewed as the leading candidate for that job," Rosenblatt continued. "[The Jets] also could add a rookie at some point in the NFL Draft. When the 2026 regular season kicks off, though, it will be Smith taking the first snaps of the season, a decade after his last snap as a Jet."

On paper, such a plan makes sense. After all, the Jets agreed to acquire Smith as part of a draft-pick swap on Tuesday to keep him from potentially reaching the open market on Wednesday afternoon. 

According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Jets were worried that the Minnesota Vikings could have become a potential landing spot for Smith. That now won't be the case. 

As for Wentz, the journeyman reportedly has a supporter in recently hired Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich. Most recently, Wentz went 2-3 across five starts with the Vikings during the 2025 season before he needed campaign-ending shoulder surgery. 

If Wentz ultimately joins the Jets, it sounds like he will enter training camp as Smith's primary backup. However, Smith may not want to get too comfortable with the Jets before he takes the first meaningful in-game snap of his second stint with the organization. 

Why Jets could bench Geno Smith at any time

Breer revealed that the Raiders are paying $16.2M owed to Smith for the 2026 season, while the Jets are on the hook for just $3.3M. Such a small financial commitment suggests the Jets wouldn't have much of a reason to keep a struggling quarterback in the lineup this coming fall. 

SNY NFL reporter Connor Hughes noted that "sources close to Wentz expect a deal" with the Jets will "eventually get done, barring last-second snags." One wonders how long the Jets would wait before giving Wentz a look if Smith plays poorly in September.