Jets announce Geno Smith decision for NFL preseason Week 2 vs. Steelers

Jets announce Geno Smith decision for NFL preseason Week 2 vs. Steelers originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The New York Jets played their first preseason game, and while it resulted in a 24-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cade Klubnik looked good in an emergency starting job.

Geno Smith was ruled out late due to injury, and he missed his first chance to play an actual game ahead of the 2026 NFL season. But with Week 2 of the preseason one day away, the Jets made a big decision for Smith.

According to Conner Hughes of SNY, the Jets have named Smith the starting quarterback, as Jets fans will finally get a chance to see their new QB1 in action ahead of the regular season.

"Sources: Jets QB Geno Smith will start tomorrow's game against the Steelers," Hughes reported Thursday afternoon.

This is some good news for the Jets, as Smith missed the first preseason game, and getting as much action for Smith with the starting offense before the season is important.

The 35-year-old quarterback, acquired this offseason in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders, is coming off a brutal 2025 season where he threw 19 touchdowns to 17 interceptions with just 3,025 passing yards.

But with the dysfunction of that Raiders team now behind him, Smith could turn things around in his return to the Jets after a decade away from the team.

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He'll get a chance to work with the first-team offense against the Steelers, and seeing his chemistry with wide receivers Garrett Wilson, Adonai Mitchell, and Isaiah Williams will be very interesting.

Omar Cooper Jr. is the fourth WR on this team, and while he could enter the game with Smith if Wilson sits out, the main targets will be the three aforementioned WRs alongside Braelon Allen and Mason Taylor with Breece Hall and Kenyon Sadiq hurt.

This is a big preseason game for the Jets, as seeing how Smith looks in live-game action could give insight into how the year will go, and whether Klubnik is going to see the field early this upcoming season or not.

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