New York Jets’ Geno Smith Should Benefit From Demotion

By Luis Tirado Jr. @LTJ81 on October 30, 2014

Geno Smith‘s world came crashing down earlier this week when he was demoted from being starting quarterback. The New York Jets made the right decision in his benching because, quite honestly, Smith has been terrible so far this season. While many would agree he should have been benched a few weeks ago, this all could actually be a blessing in disguise for his future.

There is no doubt in the minds of many that Smith was prematurely inserted as a starter when he needed at least a year or two of development before he was given the green light. Throughout NFL history, some of the greatest quarterbacks of all time started off by being on the sidelines with a clipboard studying and observing those before them. Their time as a backup provided an immense learning experience that catapulted many towards greatness.

Can Smith become the next greatest quarterback of all time? At this point it’s highly doubtful, because when you look at everything, he’s in between a rock and a hard place at this very moment; but all hope is not lost. He was successful in college as a starter, but it’s a whole different ballgame now in the pros. How he handles this adversity and takes a much-needed step away from the spotlight may very well determine his future as a starter.

This should all be considered a great opportunity to sit back, learn by watching a veteran in Michael Vick handle his role and start taking the right steps to improve. Vick won’t be around forever, so Smith must use this opportunity to his advantage. Whether Smith will be benched for the rest of the season is unknown at the moment, but at least for now, the pressure is off him so he can focus on taking notes and improving.

Overall, Smith needed this time off since things have gotten ridiculously out of hand. He’s throwing interceptions like there is no tomorrow and needs to refocus on the basics of being a successful quarterback. Hopefully after a few weeks on the bench, if he does get a chance to play again, he will have improved from this experience for the next chapter of his young career.

Luis Tirado Jr. is a New York Jets writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @LTJ81, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google

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