New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith said Tuesday that he regrets if he was a distraction to the team because of incidents in the offseason and wants to move forward.
Smith addressed the media for the first time since a June incident in which a woman, identified as an ex-girlfriend, accused him of battery. The Davie, Fla, police department said on July 14 that Smith will not be charged and the investigation is no longer active.
The 35-year-old Smith, traded in March to the team where his NFL career
started in 2013, met with media members on Tuesday when veterans reported to training camp in Florham Park, N.J. He brought up the off-field incidents before the first question was asked.
"I really hate the fact that something I was a part of could've been a distraction for this team, my teammates and this organization because a lot of hard work has been put in," Smith said. "A lot of guys have put in a lot of work for us to be in a good spot as a team. I'm happy that I'm able to put this behind me. I'm looking forward to moving forward."
Smith acknowledged having separate conversations with head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey as well as others in the organization, but declined to elaborate with specifics.
"I really feel like coming out of OTAs, I felt like we built some positive momentum and I'm really happy with where this team is right now," Smith said. "I'm looking forward to moving forward and continuing to build day-by-day with my guys."
One of the veteran leaders, linebacker Demario Davis, also was with New York when Smith was drafted by the team. Davis, who re-signed with the Jets in March, said he spoke with the QB about the allegations.
"We have a tight brotherhood in this locker room," Davis said on Tuesday. "Nobody is operating in a silo on this team, and we need that. People need space where they can have people they know and trust that will protect them the right way."
On June 21, a woman called 911, claiming to have been assaulted by Smith at his home. The woman, who identified herself as his ex-girlfriend, later posted a video of the encounter on social media. The video did not include evidence of an assault.
No one was arrested or detained at the scene, though the woman was trespassed from Smith's home.
The official report cited a lack of witnesses and surveillance footage to corroborate the allegations, and neither Smith nor the woman provided requested follow-up statements to the police. That left the responding officer "unable to determine the primary aggressor in the physical altercation," according to the report.
Smith also was involved in multiple traffic violations. He was stopped by Davie police in April for an improper vehicle tag and could not provide a physical driver's license. He also didn't present a license on July 6 when he was stopped for driving 70 mph in a 45-mph zone, per reports.
Smith received two traffic citations and about $400 in fines.
The Las Vegas Raiders traded Smith to the Jets in March along with a swap of late-round 2026 draft picks.
Smith threw a league-worst 17 interceptions and completed 67.4% of his passes for 3,025 yards with 19 touchdowns in 15 starts last season. The Raiders were 2-13 in games he started and Smith was sacked a league-high 55 times.
He has completed 65.2% of his passes for 22,168 yards and 124 TDs with 89 interceptions in 109 regular-season games (98 starts) with the Jets, New York Giants (2017), Los Angeles Chargers (2018), Seattle Seahawks (2020-24) and Raiders.
His only playoff appearance was in 2022 with the Seahawks, a 41-23 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in an NFC wild-card game. Smith was honored as the NFL Comeback Player of the Year that season and made the Pro Bowl in 2022 and 2023.
The Jets selected Smith in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
--Field Level Media
