Geno Smith Has 'Brutal' Practice, Says Jets Coach Rex Ryan

New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan isn't ready to name the starting quarterback for the team's second preseason game against Jacksonville, but if Geno Smith's problems during Wednesday's practice continue, Ryan may have the decision made for him.

Ryan spoke to reporters following Wednesday's session, noting that the rookie signal-caller was "brutal" and uncomfortable throwing the ball, according to NFL Network's Kimberly Jones:

Here is video of Ryan speaking to reporters:

Smith is currently dealing with a sprained right ankle after being injured during New York's preseason opener against the Detroit Lions, per ESPN's Rich Cimini. He turned the ankle while trying to slide on a rollout play on the opening drive of the third quarter.

He has yet to miss a practice session despite being noticeably hobbled during practice recently. During Wednesday's session, however, it seems that injury came back to haunt him in a major way. Smith threw four interceptions during seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 drills, though it's unclear how much of that performance was related to the ankle injury.    

After practice, Smith refused to blame his bad day on the ankle, saying that he wasn't feeling pain, according to the New York Daily News' Seth Walder. Ryan dismissed those claims and asserted it's possible that his quarterback misses Saturday night's contest.

“Well, I guess, we’ll see how it goes,” the coach said. “He’s been out their practicing, working through things... but that could be a possibility.” 

The Jets' second-round pick in April, Smith is currently embroiled in a position battle with incumbent starter Mark Sanchez. Ryan has yet to commit to a starter, with both players seeing first-team reps.

Sanchez started against Detroit, completing 10 of his 13 pass attempts for 125 yards and a touchdown. He connected with Jeff Cumberland on a 26-yard score in the first quarter. However, the former first-round pick also threw an interception to Lions rookie Ezekiel Ansah that was returned for a score.

Smith was 6-of-7 passing for 47 yards before suffering the injury. His first two drives were with the first-team offense, but he struggled to find any downfield connections. Of Smith's six completions, only one—a 15-yard pass to Clyde Gates—went for more than 10 yards. New York also failed to score on any of his four total drives, two of which ended in three-and-outs.  

The Jets lost to the Lions 26-17. They are coming off a 6-10 season, Ryan's first losing campaign as a head coach.

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