Who says you cannot go home again? Geno Smith is going back to the New York Jets, the team that drafted him way back in 2013, in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders.
The teams exchanged sixth- and seventh-round picks on Tuesday, with the Jets sending their sixth to the Raiders. So, the quarterback who was once the team's second-round pick before setting off a long and interesting NFL journey is back in New Jersey — literally.
Smith was reportedly in town Tuesday at the Jets' facility taking a physical.
And the Jets kind of, sort of celebrated the news on social media.
Smith, who received a $40 million contract last year from the Raiders, was due to make $18.5 million guaranteed money. The Raiders, moving on to drafting Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick,planned to release Smith.
That's no longer happening as Smith adjusted his contract for his new team while the trade saved his old team some money. The Raiders will take on $16 million of Smith's money, less than they originally owed, and the Jets will pay $3.3 million, which is a bargain for a starter.
The deal made financial sense for both teams.
Smith is not the long-term answer at quarterback for the Jets.
The team has multiple first-round picks the next two seasons — two this draft and three in the 2027 draft — and should be expected to invest in quarterback with one or more of those (in trade-up scenarios) to address the position.
But Smith becomes the team's right-now bridge quarterback.
Source: The Latest & Most Breaking News With OutKick
