Geno Smith is currently living out one of the best redemption stories in the NFL. After being written off (and not writing back) as a bridge quarterback heading into this season, he and the Seahawks are a win and a Packers loss in Week 18 from a playoff berth.
Zach Wilson, meanwhile, is going through whatever the opposite of that is. The second overall pick in 2021 watched the Jets get eliminated from the playoffs while on the sidelines after being benched against the Jaguars last week in his second game back from a three-game benching.
Smith is no stranger to the bright lights of New York. After being the second quarterback taken off the board at 39th overall by the Jets in 2013, Smith put up decent numbers in volume but they were accompanied by tons of mistakes. As a rookie, Smith went 8-8 as the starter, completing 55.8 percent of his passes for 3,046 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions.
After the Jets went 1-7 to start 2014, Smith missed two games and finished 3-10 as the Jets starter. He lost the starting job in 2015, and the Jets started to phase him out. Smith then spent time with the Giants and Chargers and seemed destined to become a journeyman backup before heading to the Seahawks, where he is finally established as a legitimate starter.
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After the game, Smith harnessed that journey to seemingly deliver some words of advice to Wilson, although what he said in their moment isn't intelligible.
Brotherhood. pic.twitter.com/KwiDdzARxN
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) January 2, 2023
Wilson looks like he's going to get another shot. Reports indicate the Jets won't be shopping the first-round QB, and he'll be with them for another year (which makes sense as he remains on his rookie deal).
For Smith, it took longer than the Jets were willing or able to wait. The concern, of course, is that the same will be true for Wilson.
After the game, Smith talked about his relationships with the Jets. It doesn't seem like there are hard feelings toward the franchise.
"I'm actually grateful for being drafted to the NFL by the Jets," he said on the podium after the game. "And although things weren't perfect there, there were some good times, and there's people still there who I hold dear to my heart. I have a lot of good relationships in New York."
Wilson may or not put it together, but Smith is a testament to what patience can build for a player. Although things in Seattle are far from perfect, this is by far the best season of his career. He's completed 70.7 percent of his passes, best in the NFL, for 3,886 yards, 27 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
