Jets QB Geno Smith earns strong endorsement from OC Frank Reich

The New York Jets are banking on a fresh start and hoping a fresh partnership can help change the direction of the franchise. Based on some recent comments, Frank Reich sounds more than ready to begin that process with Geno Smith.

Honestly, the enthusiasm was hard to miss. During a recent press conference featuring the Jets' coordinators, Reich spoke glowingly about Smith and the opportunity to finally coach him directly. That matters because New York's new offensive coordinator isn’t someone who casually hands out praise to quarterbacks.

Reich has worked with enough of them over the years to know exactly what functional NFL QB play is supposed to look like. Apparently, he believes Smith still has plenty left in the gas tank and more tread on the tires.

Frank Reich's respect for Geno Smith didn't appear out of nowhere

What stood out most wasn’t simply Reich complimenting Smith. It was the fact that the admiration clearly predates this partnership. While speaking with select media members, he expressed that he has followed his new QB1 for years.

Reich's research tells us a lot. It also makes sense considering how unusual that journey has been. Few quarterbacks have experienced more career turbulence than Smith, who went from early disappointment with the Jets to becoming one of the NFL’s better comeback stories during his time with the Seattle Seahawks.

That type of resilience tends to earn respect around the league. It especially does so from coaches. This partnership matters because the Jets desperately need stability offensively, and Reich was brought in to help provide structure, calm, and identity to a unit that lacked all three at various points last season.

Smith, meanwhile, is trying to prove his resurgence wasn’t temporary after consecutive subpar seasons. That creates an interesting dynamic. One man is attempting to help resurrect a franchise. The other is still fighting to prove his own football resurrection isn’t finished.

If this pairing works, it won’t just change the direction of the Jets' offense. It could redefine how both men are remembered in New York. Geno Smith gets a chance to rewrite the story where it first unraveled, while Frank Reich gets an opportunity to lead another football revival.

For a franchise desperate for stability, belief, and meaningful football again, that combination suddenly feels a lot more important than people realize. Can they do it? It seems unwise to count them out, especially seeing as how we've seen them do it before.

This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: What Jets' Frank Reich said about QB Geno Smith