Ryan Fitzpatrick Named Jets Starting QB After Geno Smith Injured in Fight

The New York Jets hoped this would be the year Geno Smith came into his own as the quarterback of the future. After the 24-year-old suffered a broken jaw from a punch thrown by a teammate, the team had no choice but to turn to the next option under center in journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Head coach Todd Bowles confirmed that Fitzpatrick was named the starter on Tuesday with Smith being sidelined for an extended period of time, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.

Bowles said Smith was not guaranteed to be the starter upon his return, per Darryl Slater of NJ.com, adding that if Fitzpatrick was playing well, he could potentially hold on to the job all season, per Mehta.

Linebacker I.K. Enemkpali was the one who delivered the blow to Smith's face on Aug. 11, causing two fractures, per ESPN.com's Rich Cimini, and a projected timeline of six to 10 weeks to recover from surgery and return, as the team announced. The Jets promptly released Enemkpali for his conduct.

"The team knows it. It's something we don't tolerate, something we can't stand," Bowles said of the altercation, per Cimini. "You don't walk up to a man and punch him in the face."     

NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano weighed in on the situation moving forward provided the Jets named Fitzpatrick the starter:

It was going to be interesting to see how Smith fared amid his first year in offensive coordinator Chan Gailey's system. That won't materialize for now, but there's reason to believe Fitzpatrick can have success.

The Buffalo Bills gave Fitzpatrick a franchise QB contract when Gailey served as the team's head coach and play-caller. Although the move didn't pan out for anyone involved, Fitzpatrick and Gailey are reunited in the Big Apple to perhaps provide passable play at the most important position.

That's all the Jets really need—a savvy veteran who will make good decisions and lean more on the playoff-caliber defense New York has assembled. The Jets secondary welcomes back Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie in 2015, along with free-agent addition Buster Skrine.

Combine that defensive backfield with a talented front seven featuring first-round pick Leonard Williams, and Bowles has to be intrigued in his first year at the helm. The one glaring issue is quarterback, so it's up to Fitzpatrick to step up.

Some may view Fitzpatrick as the reason the Houston Texans didn't make the postseason in 2014, what with a defense headlined by J.J. Watt. But Fitzpatrick actually registered a strong 95.3 passer rating in going 6-6 as a starter.

If the Jets are meant to return to the playoffs after a four-year hiatus that was preceded by two straight trips to the AFC title game, Fitzpatrick has to emulate his form from last season.

Should New York get off to a horrendous start with Fitzpatrick and Smith is unable to play, rookie fourth-round pick Bryce Petty may get a chance to hit the field sooner than expected.