Former Jets quarterback Geno Smith believes some things are better left in the past.
On Tuesday, ESPN published an article commemorating the 2015 locker room fight between Smith and IK Enemkpali, which resulted in Smith suffering a broken jaw and being relegated to backup duties after Ryan Fitzpatrick took the reigns of the offense in his absence.
Shortly after the story’s release, Smith took to social media to voice his displeasure with what had been published, tweeting, “This is what y’all posting? This what really happened? Hell no. Negativity sells in this world and lies go further than the truth. The devilish acts perpetuated in the media will never get old. It’s a shame what these people do for a story!”
The article details the reasoning for the fight and recounts the events in the locker room at One Jets Drive that day. It features testimony from some of Smith’s former teammates, including wide receiver Brandon Marshall. Smith himself declined to comment for the article. Enemkpali also declined and questioned the reasoning for the story, asking ESPN in a Facebook message “What’s the point in bringing it back up? What’s your motive?”
Entering 2015, Smith was presumed New York’s No. 1 quarterback under rookie head coach Todd Bowles. Surrounded by weapons such as Marshall and Eric Decker, Smith was going to have a chance to prove his worth as the incumbent starter under a new head coach. Instead, Enemkpali’s punch put him out for weeks and Fitzpatrick took over under center, ultimately leading the Jets to a 10-6 record and within one game of a playoff berth.
Smith spent the rest of his tenure with New York serving as Fitzpatrick’s backup. He has not been given a chance to start since 2015, bouncing around the league with the Giants, Chargers and Seahawks as a reserve signal-caller. Enemkpali was claimed on waivers by former head coach Rex Ryan and the Bills one day after the Jets released him for his role in the fight. He spent one season with Buffalo and has been out of football since 2017.
