Amid the final weeks of a lost season, Rex Ryan has decided to give Geno Smith one last shot.
The second-year quarterback, who supplanted Michael Vick on Monday night during a 38-3 bell ringing in Detroit against the Bills, will get the start on Monday against the Dolphins, according to the team.
Rex Ryan met with both quarterbacks early on Wednesday morning.
"Purpose of putting Geno back, let him observe, but now's the opportunity for him to step back in, and let's see -- we'll see how it goes," the coach said. "I, for one, I'm excited to watch him. And he has my support on this, and that's what I'll say about it.
It would be hard to imagine the 2-9 Jets going away from Smith again this season.
At this point, this decision almost feels meaningless and closes the book on another disastrous season at quarterback in Florham Park. The team has been pining for stability for so long that it's hard to remember the last time they felt totally comfortable with the man under center.
Smith, who could very well be auditioning for a role elsewhere next season, is 1-7 as a starter in 2014 with just seven touchdown passes. He completed fewer than 60 percent of his throws and was picked off 10 times in nine games.
The decision is also an interesting one from Vick's perspective. On one hand, he came into the season hoping this one-year deal could propel him to another starting role next year. On the other, reports of his uninspiring training camp and relative acceptance of a backup role could not ring truer, especially when Vick himself started to admit that he wasn't prepared for games. What kind of opportunity will he get next season?
Sadly, the Ryan era will be summarized by moments like these. His incredible rise and two AFC Championship Games will be an afterthought compared to the countless rotating cast of quarterbacks.
Now, the question is whether or not the latest gaffe falls on the shoulders of general manager John Idzik, too.
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