There has been speculation this football offseason that former WVU football quarterback Geno Smith would be released after a lackluster performance with the Las Vegas Raiders this past season. But one team wanted him so badly, they've made a trade for veteran signal caller before he could test the free agency market.
The New York Jets have made a trade with the Raiders that will see Smith shipped off to The Big Apple in exchange for multiple NFL Draft picks. The move will reunite Smith with the team that originally drafted him in 2013 after his collegiate career with the Mountaineers concluded.
Former WVU QB Smith traded to the New York Jets
Smith threw for 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions last season and went 2-13 as a starter for the Raiders, but how much can be placed on him versus the bad situation he walked into with the franchise is debatable.
The prior three seasons in Seattle, he had seen a career resurgence, passing for over 4,200 yards in a season twice and tallying 71 touchdowns to just 35 interceptions. He was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2022 and was named to the Pro Bowl roster in 2022 and 2023.
Smith will now get another chance to re-spark his career in New York. But his initial stint with the Jets in the 2010s didn't go well. He struggled in his first two seasons in the league before being benched, and then injuries would derail his final two seasons with the franchise.
At WVU, Smith was a two-time All-Big East and one-time All-Big 12 selections, and led the NCAA in passing touchdowns as a senior in 2012. He was recently named one of the Top 100 college football quarterbacks on this century by ESPN.