Jets QB Geno Smith Gets Broken Jaw in Bizarre Incident

The New York Jets Annual Circus got underway early this year as starting quarterback Geno Smith suffered a broken jaw in a locker room incident on August 11th. Reserve linebacker IK Enemkpali punched Smith in the face in a dispute over a $600 airplane ticket reimbursement, breaking the QBs jaw. Smith will be out of action for 6-10 weeks, and Enemkpali is out of a job, as the Jets released him immediately.

Ringmaster, that is, head coach Todd Bowles was not happy with either player, indicating that while Enemkpali of course should not have thrown the punch, Smith could have done more to diffuse the situation. Smith had accepted an invitation to appear at a Texas football camp run by Enemkpali, and the linebacker had given him $600 for an airplane ticket. A friend of Smith’s died in a motorcycle accident at the time of the camp, and Smith did not fly to Texas. Enemkpali wanted the money back, which led to the confrontation.

Of course the Jets did the right thing in releasing Enemkpali; his action was inexcusable. We are wondering however, why Smith, who is in the middle of a 4 year $5 million contract couldn’t pay back the $600 he owed the linebacker. The Jets will now go with Ryan Fitzpatrick as the presumed starter at quarterback, and Bowles implied that Smith may not get his job back if Fitzpatrick is playing well.

Just another day at the office for the New York Jets.