If you watched the version of Geno Smith that played for the Las Vegas Raiders last season, you could be forgiven for believing that the 35-year-old Smith had reached the end of his unlikely career revival.

Smith, who had three great seasons with the Seattle Seahawks from 2022-2024 after a long time as an NFL afterthought, turned back into a pumpkin in the Raiders’ badly-drawn and horribly-executed offense, completing 302 of 448 passes for 3,025 yards, 19 touchdowns, a league-high 17 interceptions, and a passer rating of 84.7 — his worst as a starter since 2014, his second season with the New York Jets after they selected Smith in the second round of the 2013 draft out of West Virginia. Smith had followed Pete Carroll to Vegas in a trade with Seattle, and he probably wished that he hadn’t.

Still, Smith did his level best to display that he still had NFL ability, as hidden as it was by awfulness around him.

geno still got that deep ball, shoot dang pic.twitter.com/x4S4FPAtaE

— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) May 5, 2026

The Raiders traded Smith and a 2026 seventh-round pick to the Jets in March for a 2026 sixth-round pick, and this was basically a move by Gang Green’s front office to throw something against the wall to see if it could stick for an organization that has been a starting quarterback short for a very long time. Like the 2025 Raiders, the 2025 Jets ended their season with a 3-14 record, and they had Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor, and Brady Cook as their quarterbacks.

“I’m extremely confident, but not arrogant,” Smith said in March, when asked how much he has left in the tank. “I know there’s a lot of hard work that needs to be done. I’m a lot better than I was. Statistics will always be a funny thing, but the reality is, the experiences I’ve gained, even last season, have made me a better quarterback. I’ve learned a lot and seen a lot, and I’m pushing myself every single day in training to be a better player. I believe I still have room to grow. I believe I still have a ton of years left on my body to play this game, and I want to continue to try and maximize it.

“So, I believe the Jets are getting a better player than I was in Seattle. I know that for a fact. I just want to go out there and exhibit that and be that player on a daily basis, and be consistent, and just put our team in the best position to win games.”

Well, despite that record, the Jets did (and do) have more on offense to offer the right quarterback. On Friday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting defense, Smith did indeed show that he has something left to offer. He completed seven of seven passes for 65 yards and a touchdown, and the only blip on the radar came when nose tackle Yahya Black batted one of Smith’s passes down at the line of scrimmage.

Other than that, Smith was dealing from start to finish. He began his series with two completions to receiver AD Mitchell, then hit tight end Mason Taylor for 10 yards. Running back Braelon Allen was next with a five-yard quick pass, then it was receiver Garrett Wilson with his own 10-yard gain.

Smith concluded his one drive of the day with a 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jelani Woods, in which the quarterback booted left, and threw a dart across his body for the score.

Geno Smith ➡️ Jelani Woods!

An opening-drive touchdown for the Jets! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Tdwo1tHBXC

— SNY Jets (@snyjets) August 21, 2026

Smith saw the field well, took advantage of a coverage bust on his 21-yard completion to Mitchell, and was on time and in rhythm overall. He looked like he had been in offensive coordinator Frank Reich’s system for a long time.

We’re not here to say that Smith will meet the Comeback Player of the Year season he enjoyed in Seattle in 2022, but if you were wondering what he can still do in an offense that shouldn’t be locked in a shed and set on fire, Smith showed up with quite the definite answer.