Geno Smith wasn’t the answer at quarterback for the Jets, but he was their pallbearer Sunday.
Smith put a nail in the Jets’ coffin by leading the Seahawks to a critical 26-21 comeback win over the team that drafted him in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft, which sent Gang Green (3-9) to a ninth straight losing season.
In a caption-less social media post, Smith rubbed salt in the wound of Jets fans, posting the popular meme of a man who said he showed up at an enemy’s funeral to make sure his foe had really died.
Smith underwhelmed as the Jets’ starter before settling into a backup role with multiple teams, but he has proven to be a legitimate starter since joining the Seahawks.
The former West Virginia standout went 20-for-31 for 206 yards and one touchdown pass Sunday, including a game-winning touchdown drive that culminated with a Zach Charbonnet eight-yard touchdown run with 5:31 remaining.
Aaron Rodgers was unable to lead the Jets to a touchdown drive from there as the Jets again came up short, losing their sixth game by one possession this season.
Fellow ex-Jet Leonard Williams also had a standout game Sunday, intercepting a Rodgers red zone pass and returning it for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 21-14, which completely shifted the game as Gang Green struggled to gain much momentum on offense after that.
Fans did not take kindly to Smith’s dancing on the Jets’ grave.
“Sad you’re still living in the past. You know we’ve been hungry for a winner. But yeah, enjoy rubbing it into the team who gave you a chance. Classy, lol,” one X account, @KingOfNY6, said in a comment.
Smith has long cited the Jets as a source of motivation despite his controversial playing career in New York.
He was given the opportunity to start for Seattle at the beginning of the 2022 season, and he seemingly took a shot at the Jets in his season-opening victory against the Broncos on “Monday Night Football.”
“They wrote me off. I didn’t write back though,” Smith said in his postgame interview on ESPN.
One of Smith’s more memorable moments with the Jets happened in August 2015 when he was punched in the face and had his jaw broken by IK Enemkpali over a $600 debt while he was competing for the starting quarterback gig.
X users didn’t forget, of course.
“U pay IK back yet?” was among the top comments on Smith’s post on X by account @zoffabono.
Smith has plenty of money now, though, signing a three-year, $75 million contract with the Seahawks ahead of the 2023 season.
Seattle is 7-5 and is in first place in the NFC West heading into an important divisional road game against the Cardinals on Sunday.