Jon Gruden On Geno Smith: 'It's Too Early To Give Up On Him'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- We know all about Geno Smith's inconsistency on the field and his trouble off it.
But what does the future hold for the Jets' quarterback?
Nobody knows what will happen once Smith -- who had his jaw broken by IK Enemkpali in a locker-room fight -- returns to the team, but ESPN NFL analyst Jon Gruden isn't ready to quit on the 24-year-old.
"I think (Ryan) Fitzpatrick, on his fifth or sixth team, will be a good bridge to the future," Gruden said, according to ESPN.com. "But you still have to find out who the future is. Is it Geno Smith? I think it's too early to give up on him. Hopefully, Fitzpatrick can play solid football until they have an opportunity to decide for themselves."
With Smith out for the start of the season -- at least -- Fitzpatrick is New York's starting quarterback. When Smith is activated, he may or may not regain his job as the starter.
"I like Geno because I know what kind of talent he has," Gruden said, according to the website. "There are tapes last year -- I think the Miami game ... where you say, 'Man, this guy has the ability to run and throw.' There were some throws he made at New England last year that were unbelievable."
In his second season in 2014, Smith completed 59.7 percent of his passes for 2,525 yards. The former second-round pick threw 13 touchdown passes and ran for another score, but tossed 13 interceptions and fumbled eight times.
