The New York Jets’ quarterback situation didn’t need another problem, but it got one today and it came like a punch to the gut. Well, actually, it came like a punch to Geno Smith’s jaw.
During a briefing with reporters before today’s practice in Florham Park, New Jersey, coach Todd Bowles said that Smith was “cold-cocked... sucker-punched, whatever you want to call it,” reports ESPN. Smith got into an altercation with reserve linebacker IK Enemkpali in the locker room Tuesday morning and suffered two fractures in his jaw.
After the altercation, Enemkpali was released by the team.
"You can't tolerate that," Bowles later said, reports NFL.com. "When you have a team and a bunch of side issues you can't tolerate that. It's something that happened in the locker room and we're dealing with it internally and that's what we'll do."
Bowles wouldn’t go into the details of the fight, only telling reporters that it was “something very childish that sixth-graders could have talked about.”
Smith was supposed to be the Jets’ starter, but it looks like he could miss at least the first game of the season because of this. The team currently has veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick and rookie Bryce Petty on the roster.
Smith, 24, will begin his third season in 2015. He played in all 13 games last season, only winning three of those games.