FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Geno Smith will step on the field for the New York Jets in Tennessee on Sunday as an unexpected symbol.
Of football perseverance, resilience and redemption.
It's a far cry from how things ended in his disappointing first stint with the Jets, who once viewed him as a possible long-term quarterback and face of the franchise — until failed expectations, costly mistakes and a punch to the jaw derailed all that.
The opener against the Titans will mark Smith's first regular-season start for the Jets since Oct. 23, 2016. It was a win over Baltimore during which he left early with a knee injury that sidelined him the rest of the season. He joined the Giants as a free agent the next offseason, setting off on a winding career journey with ups and downs and twists and turns.
And it all led to an improbable full-circle comeback.
“First of all, it’s an honor to be back here and to have the opportunity to be a part of this organization again, to lead this team, this young talented group of guys who work extremely hard,” Smith said. "I find myself looking forward to each and every day coming to work and giving it my all for these guys.
"So it’s really special to my family and I, and we look forward to, like I said, every single day.”
Smith was a second-round pick of the Jets in 2013, but perhaps his lasting — and most painful — impression was having his jaw broken by teammate IK Enemkpali during training camp in 2015 in a locker room dispute. He missed several weeks, lost his starting job and raised some serious questions about whether a long-term NFL career would be in the cards.
Smith will turn 36 next month and he's in his 14th NFL season. Offensive coordinator Frank Reich insisted earlier this summer he was watching a quarterback who's physically in his prime.
“It feels like he’s 28," Reich said. “I’m telling you.”
There has been plenty of outside noise throughout his career, but Smith has learned — through some hard lessons — how to tune it all out.
“I think overall, just with experience comes a lot of maturity,” he said. "And for me, being in year 14, I’ve gained a ton of experience. I’ve been in multiple markets, I’ve played a lot of football in my time. And so, I just understand that all you can look forward to is each and every opportunity. I embrace the challenges, but I look forward to every day going to work.
“And now, I’m super excited to stand in front of you guys because I know that there’s a great opportunity in front of this team. And for me as the quarterback, it’s a lot to look forward to.”
Smith was acquired by the Jets in March from Las Vegas with coach Aaron Glenn looking for a veteran to stabilize New York's offense, which was among the NFL's worst last season. Smith will also try to bounce back from topping the league with 17 interceptions in his one season with the Raiders. That followed a three-year stretch as Seattle's starter, a career resurgence during which he was one of the NFL's most productive passers, a two-time Pro Bowl selection and the 2022 AP Comeback Player of the Year.
“Yeah, I’m not really looking too far in the past or too far ahead,” he said. "Nothing in the past, whether good or bad, really matters. All I can focus on is what’s in front of me.”
When the team reported for training camp in late July, Smith opened his first news conference by saying he regretted possibly being a distraction because of assault accusations by a woman in June in Florida. After a short investigation, the case was closed without any charges filed.
He spoke to Glenn, general manager Darren Mougey and his teammates about the situation, eager to put the focus back on football. Smith’s teammates then raved all summer about his leadership ability and work ethic.
“What’s impressed me most about Geno? Just the way he attacks every day,” wide receiver Adonai Mitchell said. “Like, the guy’s just a true natural leader. And he has this presence about him. He’s just what you would want from a quarterback. That’s the best way to sum it up.”
In perhaps the clearest confirmation of that widespread respect, Smith was selected last week by his teammates as one of the Jets' captains.
“Extremely honored,” he said. “I told those guys I’m going to wear that captain’s patch with pride because there are so many guys on this team who could’ve been easily voted captain. For me, it just means that I’ve got to continue to do all the right things, lead in the right way and perform when it’s time to perform.”
That begins Sunday in Tennessee: Act 2, Game 1.
“For me, I won’t have many emotions,” Smith insisted. “Just pretty focused on executing the game plan, taking care of business and doing what I need to do to help this team win.”
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New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) on the field before a preseason NFL football game against the New York Giants, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks fell on Wall Street Wednesday as the price of crude oil rose back above $100 a barrel amid further escalation in the U.S. war with Iran.
The S&P 500 index fell 0.5%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 346 points, or 0.7%, as of 12:45 p.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq composite fell 0.7%.
The losses were broad, with retailers among the companies leading the market lower. Amazon fell 2.1% and Starbucks fell 2%. Nearly every sector within the benchmark S&P 500 lost ground, but oil companies pushed higher. Exxon Mobil rose 1.8% and Chevron rose 1.4%.
Oil prices drove much of the action on Wall Street. The U.S. destroyed five Iranian tankers on Tuesday in a series of attacks between the two nations. The conflict that began in February has essentially shut down traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world’s oil supply passed before the war began.
The price of Brent crude, the international standard, rose 3.2% to $101.09 a barrel. It marks the first time the price surpassed $100 a barrel since July.
The jump in oil prices over the course of the war has fueled already high inflation. Gasoline prices in the U.S. are up about 32% from a year ago to $4.22 per gallon. Higher fuel prices cut into household budgets directly when it comes to the cost of driving, but they also indirectly raise prices for goods because of higher shipping costs.
The price of diesel, which can have an outsized impact on consumers because it is used in shipping and production, hit an all-time high Friday and has continued to climb since. The average price for a gallon reached $5.94 overnight and is now 9 cents higher than it was Friday.
Inflation was already stubbornly high when the U.S. started its war against Iran because of the ongoing U.S. trade war with much of the world. That trade war is also heating up, especially between the U.S. and its close ally and trade partner Canada.
Wall Street will get more updates this week on inflation, starting with a look at prices at the wholesale level on Thursday with the release of the Producer Price Index for August. It measures prices businesses pay for goods before they reach customers. That report will be followed up Friday with the release of the Consumer Price Index, or CPI, for August, which shows the more direct price impact for households.
The latest reports are expected to show that the rate of inflation remains above 3%. That has been an issue for the Federal Reserve, which is aiming to hold inflation at a target rate of 2%. The central bank has been holding rates steady, but Wall Street is leaning toward a 62% chance that it will raise its benchmark interest rate at its meeting next week, according to data from CME Group.
Higher interest rates make borrowing more expensive. The goal of raising interest rates is to slow the economy and cool inflation.
Rising Treasury yields in the bond market were also weighing down stocks on Wall Street Wednesday.
The U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday said it would buy back up to $6 billion in long-term debt. That follows an announcement in August previewing plans for an unusually large buyback in an effort to contain rising yields, which make it more expensive for U.S. companies to borrow money and also weigh down other investments, such as stocks.
Bond yields had been holding steady prior to the announcement, but gained ground shortly after.
“The simplest version here is that market interventions have a long history of not working very well," said Guy LeBas, chief fixed income strategist at Janney Montgomery.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury, which tends to impact mortgage rates, rose to 4.85% from 4.80% late Tuesday. That marks its highest point since late October of 2023. The yield on the 2-year Treasury, which tends to track expectations for Fed moves on interest rates, rose to 4.42% from 4.39% late Tuesday.
Bond yields have an inverse relationship to prices. Yields rise as bond prices fall. Rising yields signal that investors are demanding a higher return from Treasurys.
Elsewhere on Wall Street, shares of Meta Platforms rose 6% as the parent company of Instagram and Facebook launched a personal artificial intelligence agent, Muse, for people 18 and over who are looking for help with day-to-day tasks like schedules and shopping.
Markets in Europe fell while markets in Asia closed mixed.
AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Michelle Chapman contributed to this report.
Specialists Dilip Patel works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei and New York Dow indexes at a securities firm Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
