The season hasn’t even started yet, and New York Jets fans are already restless with starting quarterback Geno Smith.
It didn’t take very long for fans who showed up for a preseason scrimmage to show their displeasure with Smith, as they booed him after a few mistakes. With a crowd of around 10,000 on hand, I’m sure it was a little hard to ignore for Smith, but he seemed to laugh it off afterwards.
Here are the details from ESPN.com:
“The camera should’ve zoomed in on me; I had a big smile on my face,” he said afterward. “You’d think we were on the road today.”
Smith, the Jets’ presumptive starter, got off to a slow start before an announced crowd of 10,000-plus. He lost the ball on a strip sack, threw a near-interception and misfired on a miscommunication with his new wide receiver, Brandon Marshall.
The crowd, in midseason form, grew impatient and let him hear about it. The fans didn’t seem to care it was only a glorified practice — game situations, but no live tackling.
“In two years, I’ve developed some really thick skin,” he said. “I know how to handle it now.”
“That’s when I thrive, man,” Smith said. “That’s when I’m at my best. I’ve been through a lot in two years. Maybe my rookie year, I would’ve hung my head or it might have fazed me or it might have affected me negatively. But at this point, it rolls right off my back.”
It’s tough being the starting quarterback on any professional team, but it is even tougher being the starting quarterback for a New York team. The fans will waste no time in voicing their displeasure, and their is no hiding from the microscope they place you under from week to week.
I’m glad that Geno is able to shake off the criticism, because it certainly won’t be getting any easier anytime soon.