Geno Smith reportedly has strong feelings about Jets possibly signing Russell Wilson

A New York Jets team that brought Geno Smith back to the organization to be its starting quarterback for the 2026 season hosted big-name free-agent Russell Wilson for a visit on Monday evening.

Some understandably have wondered how Smith may feel about once again sharing a quarterback room with Wilson. According to multiple reports, Smith would happily welcome Wilson to the Jets this spring. 

Geno Smith "advocated" for Jets to sign Russell Wilson

"Smith advocated for Wilson when team officials solicited his input on potential backups," Jets reporter Rich Cimini of ESPN shared on Tuesday. "The two developed a good relationship as Seattle Seahawks teammates in 2020 and 2021. In those seasons, Smith served as Wilson's backup before ascending to the No. 1 job in 2022."

Jets insider Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic noted that "Smith mentioned that he enjoyed working with Wilson when they were with the Seahawks." Per Rosenblatt, "no signing is imminent, but there is interest on both sides as the Jets look to add a veteran behind Smith." 

The Jets are currently on track to have 2025 undrafted rookie quarterback Brady Cook, journeyman Bailey Zappe and 2026 fourth-round draft choice Cade Klubnik on their roster. On paper, Wilson would be an upgrade over those three options as it pertains to the Jets' QB2 situation for the upcoming campaign. 

Why Jets may have concerns about signing Russell Wilson

Wilson began the 2025 season as the New York Giants' starter, but he was ultimately benched in favor of then-rookie Jaxson Dart following Week 3 of the campaign. Later in the fall, the Giants started Jameis Winston over Wilson for two November games that Dart missed when he was in the NFL's concussion protocol. 

A March report claimed that Wilson's "declining skills, inability to seemingly grasp how far he has fallen from his peak years, and great skepticism about his ability to fully grasp being a mentor-type backup" had "left him without a market" ahead of this year's draft. Thus, the Jets should be sure that Wilson will serve as a willing mentor for Klubnik before the club considers signing the one-time Super Bowl champion over other available options.