Right now, the New York Jets are Ryan Fitzpatrick's team. The quarterback did enough to secure the Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns which increased confidence in the veteran to carry the team in 2015. However, what happens when Geno Smith returns to full health and wants his job back? Smith entered training camp as the No.1 quarterback, but a broken job left him out of the mix and now the third-year pro is prepared to battle for his job again.
Smith's return to the field is expected sooner rather than later. The quarterback underwent surgery on a broken jaw and is back on the field and getting to throwing once again. A time table for Smith has not been announced, but head coach Todd Bowles told the media via the New York Daily News that the quarterback will be inactive for Week 2, but could be back on the roster by the following Sunday. Smith has not practiced, but is throwing the ball and remains close to being at full speed.
The quarterback spoke with the media at practice on Wednesday and admitted that he is angry over getting sucker punched in the locker room. He admits he cannot show that kind of emotion in the locker room moving forward. When asked about where he stood with the team following his return, the quarterback said that it was Fitzpatrick's team and he was ready to earn the job back.
"You know what? I'm on the team. The guys look at me as a leader. Whether it's my team or not, it's Woody [Johnson]'s team. It's coach [Todd] Bowles' team. And it's a trickle-down effect," Smith said, via Kimberley Martin of Newsday. "You want to say, OK, it's Fitz's team? But that's kind of pinning me and him against each other. We're all in this thing together. It's a collective bond, and it was that way when I was projected the starter and when I got hurt it was that way. And right now it's the same way."
Fitzpatrick is proving he can do a lot with a little. The quarterback got plenty of help from Brandon Marshall and Chris Ivory in the first week of play. That is expected to continue. Another thing that will continue is the downfall of Jeremy Kerley. Last season, Kerley ran tandem with Eric Decker. This year he is the No.4 option as best with Chris Owusu improving and Devin Smith returning. Kerley is not at risk of getting cut considering the Jets signed him to a four-year, $16 million deal 11 months ago. However, he has clearly fallen out of favor and with Rich Cimini at ESPN reporting Terrelle Pryor is coming to workout, Kerley could continue to drop on the depth chart.
"I always see myself as a starter," Kerley said, via ESPN.com. "Whether it's here as my future or wherever my future is, I see myself as a starter. At this point, I don't really see what a conversation can do as far as changing people's minds. If they're set on their guy, I understand that. It is what it is."
