Geno Smith out after broken jaw
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – The altercation in the New York Jets locker room that ended with quarterback Geno Smith suffering a broken jaw began as a dispute over $600, sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
Jets coach Todd Bowles, a former Grambling assistant in the late 1990s, announced Smith is out six to 10 weeks from what he described as a “sucker punch” from Enemkpali. Smith told Enemkpali he would reimburse him the money, but he had not as of Tuesday morning. Bryce Petty, a fourth-round pick this year out of Baylor, and undrafted free agent Jake Heaps out of Miami are the Jets’ other remaining quarterbacks.
ESPN analyst Cris Carter questioned Smith’s “leadership” in the moments after the news broke.
Enemkpali did issue a formal apology via Twitter.
Smith, 24, was entering his third season as the Jets’ starting quarterback after being selected in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft.
Bowles said the Jets could add another quarterback, but veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick will assume the starting job.
“IK is gone”, Bowles said. Anderson added the team planned to go into their first preseason game “with the three arms that we have”.
Bowles, in his first season as coach, spoke for about 2 minutes before heading to a meeting and then practice, but was clearly angered by the situation. “You don’t walk up to another man and punch him in the face”, Bowles said.
“This is something that sixth graders could have talked about”, Bowles said.
But yeah, it totally was Smith’s fault. Maybe the Jets can throw in the towel on 2015 and entertain the rest of us with Lorenzen and his Super Bowl-winning pedigree.
Enemkpali’s release means he misses out on the $510,000 he would have been paid to play for the Jets this season.
The physical altercation isn’t the first for Enemkpali. A normally quiet and thoughtful presence in the locker room, Enemkpali received a suspended jail sentence and probation after assaulting an off-duty police officer while he was a Louisiana Tech student in 2011. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.
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