The New York Jets and Ryan Fitzpatrick appear to be on their way to setting the most problematic quarterback situation in the NFL today. With the rest of the pro football teams commencing their training this offseason, the Matt Forte squad have yet to sort out who will lead their team. Will the ongoing holdout of Fitzpatrick result in the return of Geno Smith as the top dog of the New York Jets?
The previous NFL season saw the rise of Ryan Fitzpatrick as the leader of the New York Jets. Following the disciplinary measures taken against Geno Smith, the football community saw how the Matt Bowles group valued good behavior on and off the gridiron. However, it looks like the reign of Fitzpatrick might be over soon. Rumors are rife that Smith has finally turned over a new leaf and is now ready to lead the New York Jets to greater heights in the next NFL season.
"Every player in the NFL, I think, deserves a fair opportunity," shared Smith when the possibility of him landing the top quarterback position was raised. He added, "Whether or not that's the case, who knows? I believe that I do have an opportunity here and I've just got to take advantage of it."
The issue between the New York Jets and Ryan Fitzpatrick is akin to the stalemate situation of the San Francisco 49ers with Colin Kaepernick. That is, all parties are concerned with the contract - more specifically, the amount of cash out for the quarterbacks involved. In both cases, the players feel they are worth more than they are getting paid. Needless to say, the NFL teams disagree.
Fortunately for Smith, it looks like the holdout is giving him more chances of landing the top quarterback post. In his recent practices, the New York Jets players themselves actually praised the improvements of Smith. For instance, Calvin Pryor noted how the potential first quarterback is now more communicative and open to his teammates. The New York Jets strong safety also shared how Smith respects everyone's schedule by always showing up on time for meetings and practices.
"He's always on time. He's always doing the right things," said Pryor of Smith. He added, "At first [in previous years], I saw that Geno really didn't talk to too many people. But now he speaks and he goes about things the right way. That's what you have to do when you want guys to believe in you. You have to make sure you talk with everyone. You have to have everybody's trust, everybody believing in you. Because we're only going to go as far as you're going to take us, along with this defense. Every great team, you have to see great quarterback play."
Meanwhile, rumors are circulating that Tim Tebow might be signed by the New York Jets sometime soon. Given the current situation of the NFL team, there is a huge possibility that another quarterback will be needed. At the moment, the league is filled with free agents but only a handful are good quarterbacks. With his stint with the Denver Broncos and his Heisman Trophy award, fans believe Tim Tebow is a potential candidate for the New York Jets.
What do you think? Should the New York Jets pay Ryan Fitzpatrick more? Or is Geno Smith more than capable of leading the NFL team? What about Tim Tebow? Will he be a good fit for the New York Jets?
