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Jets GM 'excited' to see what Geno Smith can do as starter

Brad Penner / USA TODAY Sports

The New York Jets don't sound nearly as concerned about their starting quarterback situation as many fans and members of the media.

The team still hasn't re-signed 2015 starter Ryan Fitzpatrick, leaving Geno Smith atop the depth chart and developmental options Christian Hackenberg (a 2016 second-round pick) and Bryce Petty (a 2015 fourth-rounder) below him.

"In a perfect world (we'll re-sign Fitzpatrick)," general manager Mike Maccagnan said Monday on "The Michael Kay Show," according to Newsday.

If not, the Jets are content, and even excited, to move forward with Smith.

"Right now, Geno has been a starter for us, and actually played quite well prior to getting hurt last year, and was doing a good job in the offseason," Maccagnan added. "So we’re kind of excited to see what Geno can do, coming back. And we feel good about that."

Smith showed promise as a passer in the 29 games he started from 2013-2014, but has failed to find stability both on and off the field over his career. He lost his starting job prior to the 2015 season when a locker room fight with teammate IK Enemkpali left Smith with a broken jaw.

Should Fitzpatrick be re-signed, it's hard to imagine Smith even cracking the Jets' final 53-man roster. The team certainly won't cut ties with Hackenberg and probably not Petty, either, nor is it likely they'll carry four quarterbacks on the roster.

While Smith's starter-or-probably-cut situation has many fans feeling uneasy, for now, at least, the Jets say they are content to move forward with him as perhaps the most important piece of their offense.

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