The preseason was always going to be crucial for the New York Jets, as they had a whole host of changes in the coaching staff and the all-important QB position. Almost ten years after he first represented the team, Geno Smith took the field for the Jets in the preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He put in an impressive display, completing 7/7 passes to help the Jets take a 17-0 win over the Steelers. In what was his first preseason appearance, Smith showed what it was going to be like when he takes the QB snaps. Although there were many positives, HC Aaron Glenn was concerned about one aspect of the offense that will need improvement.

“Very, very efficient, he (Geno Smith) looked very comfortable,” Aaron Glenn said, via the team’s website. “Exactly what we were looking for. But again, we still have some things we’ve got to work on because our run game wasn’t where it needs to be.”

After missing the preseason opener because of a sore ankle, in his first game since returning to New York, the quarterback completed all seven of his passes for 65 yards and a touchdown with a perfect 144.9 passer rating. His perfect seven-pass performance provided what Glenn had been looking for.

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Smith did his part, but Glenn’s comments clearly state that he does not want the offense to totally rely on the quarterback. The running game issues that have been seen in preseason could be attributed to the fact that the Jets’ star RB Breece Hall is out due to a groin injury.

Hall recorded 1,065 rushing yards for the Jets last season. This was the first time in his career that he crossed the 1,000-yard mark.

After he suffered the injury, it was announced that Hall would be out for the remainder of the preseason, but coach Glenn confirmed that he is all set to take the field for Gameweek 1.

“Knowing how important he is for what we’re doing, it was really exciting to hear,” Glenn said to the reporters

With Hall expected to miss out the remainder of the preseason, players like Braelon Allen, Isaiah Davis & Kene Nwangwu are expected to see some snaps against the New York Giants next week.

Coming back to Geno Smith, what makes him an integral part of the Jets offense is his experience. After a dismal year with the Las Vegas Raiders, Smith’s return to the Jets can help him change narratives around him. He has worked hard all offseason and even early in August earned praise from coach Glenn for his efforts during training.

“It’s good to see that from your starter,” Glenn said via the New York Jets site, August 1. “Listen, he’s worked his butt off from the offseason going to the beginning of training camp of understanding exactly what we’re doing.”

Smith will be hoping his preseason form translates into the regular season, where all hopes will be on him to resurrect the offense that has not had any joy for a while.

Can Geno Smith turn things around with the Jets?

Smith holds the starting record of 42-56 across 13 NFL seasons for five different franchises, including the New York Jets (2013-2016), New York Giants (2017), Los Angeles Chargers (2018), Seattle Seahawks (2019-2024), and Las Vegas Raiders (2025), before returning to the Jets again.

During this time, he has managed to make it to the Pro Bowl twice. However, in the past few years, his production has dropped, and ultimately last season, he ended up getting called out for his poor performances for the Las Vegas Raiders.

He only managed to win two games as a starter and threw for 3,025 yards on a 67.4% completion rate, while also throwing 17 interceptions. His performances led the franchise looking at other options in the QB room, and they now have the likes of Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza on the roster.

The Jets are coming off a 3-14 season and have not had stability in their QB room for quite some time. While Smith presents an experienced player, they also have a talented rookie Cade Klubnik, Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe as options.

Smith definitely has the game to help the Jets be a competitive side. However, they are in a division with the likes of the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins. While he can use his experience to win them some games, if they have to end their playoff drought, the Jets will need both their units to click and win a lot more than three games this season. They have taken a step in the right direction by bringing in a familiar face, but whether that materialises into good results is only a question that will be answered when the regular season begins.