Over the course of the past 12 months, the New York Jets have been completely remade under new general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn. The Jets took a risk in the 2025 offseason by bringing in Justin Fields as a possible bridge quarterback, but the team has taken a much more patient and long-term approach at the position under this brain trust than most others in years past.
In 2026, the Jets made a pretty unpopular move going after Geno Smith, who led the NFL in interceptions last year with the Las Vegas Raiders. While Smith has been a great comeback story since he got the starting gig in Seattle back in 2022, his decline last season was too significant to ignore.
Even if the Jets feel good about the way their roster reconstruction has been going, Smith has a lot to prove in his second stint with the team, which is why Aaron Glenn making bold statements like he did at the annual NFL owners meetings.
Aaron Glenn says Geno Smith is going to lead the Jets to the promised land
"He's the guy that's going to lead us to the promised land"
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) March 31, 2026
- Aaron Glenn on Geno Smith pic.twitter.com/NK13KNXj5P
This is exactly the type of pressure you don't want to put on your starting quarterback, even if you want to put as much confidence behind him as possible. These are the types of statements that are bound to get "memed" if things don't go well, and taking a more conservative approach might be the better option for Glenn.
People on Twitter/X have already started joking that the "promised land" is the #1 pick in next year's draft, and the chance to select Arch Manning. But if that is the fate of the Jets this year, will Glenn be able to see the promised land himself, or is he going to miss out?
Again, there's nothing wrong with having your quarterback's back. The Jets traded for Smith, so it's not like they viewed him as a last resort. Their process in acquiring him is indicative of their belief that he can be an effective bridge player. But the long-term situation at the position remains to be seen. Smith is not a long-term solution, nor does one of those currently exist on the Jets' roster.
After all of their player movement this offseason, the Jets still have two first-round picks to work with, including the 2nd overall pick. They do have a chance, if Smith can return to the form we saw from him in Seattle, to be a bit of a surprise team this coming season. But this statement by Glenn is going to require some big-time follow-through, or it's going to be the butt of a lot of jokes.