Geno Smith 'kind of pissed off' about Fitzpatrick re-signing

New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith isn't quite sure how to feel about his team re-signing fellow pass-thrower Ryan Fitzpatrick.

While most of the Jets organization was pleased to see the bearded Fitzpatrick back in the building, Smith, who has prepared to be the starter throughout the offseason, had a mixed reaction.

"I'm not disappointed," Smith told Darryl Slater of NJ.com after Thursday's first training camp practice. "I'm kind of pissed off. But it's not a detrimental thing. It's not something where I'm pissed off at anyone, because we all want to be out there. We all know that one quarterback gets to go out there on Day 1. That just adds fuel to the fire, but not in a negative way.

"I don't want that to become like a headline or something like that, because it's not what I'm trying to say. It's more as a competitor, as a quarterback, knowing what I'm capable of, and really believing in myself, knowing the work that I put in over the offseason. You want to be out there. But you've just got to kind of play the cards that you're dealt."

Smith infamously lost his starting job to Fitzpatrick last season when he was sidelined by a punch from former teammate IK Enemkpali.

The 25-year-old isn't giving up hope of starting this season, either for the Jets or another team, but he's aware of Fitzpatrick's upper hand, having been so successful in 2015.

"Ultimately, it's up to the team anyway," Smith said. "And this is no disrespect to anyone, but I'm auditioning for this team and 31 other teams in the NFL, so the way that you handle all of this says something about yourself and your character.

"Everyone is going to watch and see how I react. I'm not going to allow this situation - because it's not the worst situation I've been in - to deter me from my ultimate goal."