Brandon Marshall Comments on Geno Smith Being Named Jets Starting QB

Brandon Marshall hasn't developed a huge rapport with Geno Smith, though the New York Jets wide receiver isn't letting that stop him from believing good things are in store for his new starting quarterback.

On Wednesday, Jets head coach Todd Bowles announced Smith will be the team's starter against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

Per Bob Glauber of Newsday, Marshall believes Smith has shown a lot of growth over the past year.

"It’s been amazing to see this guy grow and really punch adversity in the face," Marshall said.

Marshall could be injecting some levity into the situation for the 1-5 Jets. Former teammate IK Enemkpali punched Smith in the face in August 2015, which resulted in Enemkpali receiving a four-game suspension from the NFL.

After the Jets released Enemkpali, the Buffalo Bills claimed him on waivers. A year later, he threw a punch at Bills teammate Cyrus Kouandjio. Buffalo then released Enemkpali on Sept. 2, one week before the 2016 season started.

Smith will take over for Ryan Fitzpatrick, who has struggled mightily. Through six games, Pro Football Focus gave Fitzpatrick the lowest grade among qualified starting quarterbacks in the league (via Adam Levitan of DraftKings).

Smith may not be the long-term answer in New York, with a career 57.9 completion percentage, 27 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. It would be hard for him to do much worse than Fitzpatrick, though, making this an opportune time to get the 26-year-old back onto the field.