Jets QB Geno Smith still looking for respect after weak support from Brandon Marshall
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Tuesday, August 18, 2015, 11:09 PM A A A
Geno Smith lacks support and respect in the locker room amongst his teammates.
The punch heard ’round the league that landed on Geno Smith’s jaw last Tuesday revealed much more than a fracture of the mercurial quarterback’s face.
The altercation exposed wounds that will take much longer than 6 to 10 weeks to heal.
That truth has become abundantly clear in the past week: The erstwhile starting signal caller isn’t really respected at One Jets Drive. Public “support” within the organization has been tepid at best.
Nobody backed Smith in the immediate aftermath of an embarrassing incident that has needlessly stained a franchise that made many smart choices this offseason.
NFL starting quarterbacks demand respect. The position requires it. Smith’s erratic play on the field and questionable decisions off it the past two years have left him in purgatory.
The new regime gave the young quarterback a fair chance to prove his worth as a player and leader. So far, he’s hasn’t exactly instilled much faith in them.
The details of Smith’s incident with linebacker IK Enemkpali are sketchy. New versions of the story bubble to the surface every couple days.
None of it matters anymore.
The larger concern is how a quarterback hoping to gain trust in the locker room could put himself in such a potentially volatile situation. It’s not the first time Smith’s judgment has been questioned.
Teammates proceeded with caution this offseason. Maybe Smith had grown up. When the quarterback approached offseason work with a clear mind and proper attitude, the optimism swelled. His past transgressions were wiped clean. He would have a fair opportunity to prove his worth to a new general manager and head coach.
“I wasn’t here for those,” GM Mike Maccagnan said Tuesday of Smith’s past troubles. “The only thing I can judge Geno on is what he’s done so far. I’m aware of the past. But really, Geno’s had a good offseason (and) done a lot of positive things both on and off the field. He was having a good training camp so far. Obviously this is an unfortunate incident.”
Unfortunate doesn’t begin to describe it.
Speculation swirled in the days after Smith was clocked by Enemkpali, but the best indicator of how the team actually felt about the “victim” came through the players’ own words. Darrelle Revis didn’t absolve Smith. Todd Bowles made it clear that it takes two to tango.
The silence was broken six days later by Brandon Marshall, whose support for the quarterback on Monday prompted more questions. Marshall had three distinct opportunities to publicly back Smith last week, but passed, giving company lines about “moving on.”
Marshall, who claimed for months that he chose the Jets largely because of Smith, offered no public support at a time when the quarterback needed it the most. The veteran wide receiver’s take that “Geno Smith did nothing wrong” during a national television spot Monday promoting his foundation rang hollow.
Why didn’t Marshall stick up for his friend immediately after the incident when a handful of players spoke about it? He could have easily been pro-active to let everyone know that Smith was an innocent victim in his eyes.
Why didn’t Marshall set the record straight after the preseason game in Detroit 48 hours later?
When versions that didn’t necessarily portray Smith in the most flattering light filtered out late last week, why didn’t Marshall speak up Saturday in front of cameras after practice?
Brandon Marshall doesn't exactly rush to Geno Smith's defense, waiting a week to support his quarterback.
Why did he wait so long to go to bat for a wronged teammate? It’s fair to be skeptical given the timing. “I felt that it was an environment where the people who were watching can see my exact words,” Marshall said on Tuesday. “Live television is always good, so you don’t say something and it turns into a distraction for the team. Your words get kind of twisted.”
Marshall has always spoken to reporters with cameras present, including the team’s in-house video crew, since his arrival. Did he think that Jets employees would distort his message? His explanation frankly, didn’t make much sense.
Marshall cut off several questions about Smith on Tuesday.
“If you guys are going to ask me any more questions about Geno − if it’s not football − I think we’re wasting our time here,” Marshall said.
Marshall has always been in Smith’s corner. His words of support would have carried much more weight a week ago. Instead, he diluted the impact by waiting so long.
Smith didn’t deserve to get clocked no matter what he might have said in the heat of the moment, but Maccagnan danced around whether he’s worried about his young quarterback’s maturity.
Has Smith grown up? Is he a true leader?
The most frightening part is that those questions have to even be asked.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/f...ops-ball-geno-smith-support-article-1.2330178
