Report: Geno Smith Breaks Jaw in Locker Room Brawl; Out 6-10 Weeks
Major news coming out of the New York Jets camp that dramatically affects how their quarterback competition would shape up. According to Head Coach Todd Bowles, quarterback Geno Smith’s jaw was broken in a locker room fight with linebacker Ikemefuna Enemkpali, a sixth round pick in the 2014 draft. The “sucker-punch” landed by Enemkpali left Smith with his jaw broken in two places and out of action for 6-10 weeks. The injury will reportedly require corrective surgery.
Enemkpali was released by the team immediately after the incident according to NFL Networks’ Ian Rapoport.
Wow: Jets HC Todd Bowles said QB Geno's Smith sucker punched in locker room by IK Enemkpali. Geno now out 6-10 weeks.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 11, 2015
#Jets coach Todd Bowles announced Geno Smith was sucker punched in the locker room, broke his jaw. IK Enemkpali, the puncher, was released
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 11, 2015
In his third season out of West Virginia, Geno Smith was in the midst of a quarterback battle with veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick and rookie Bryce Petty. With the rookie Petty expected to be “redshirted” heading into 2015, the main focus was on Smith and Fitzpatrick. Smith was reportedly performing well in camp, not throwing an interception until Monday. This injury all but assures that Fitzpatrick will start for the Jets week one against the Cleveland Browns in the Meadowlands, and most likely for the foreseeable future.
Rookie Head Coach Todd Bowles addressed the media this morning regarding the incident, and was clearly unhappy with the incident. He called the incident “”a very childish matter … something two sixth-graders could’ve handled and that Smith was “cold-cocked … sucker-punched, whatever you want to call it.”
"It was something very childish."
— NFL (@NFL) August 11, 2015
Jets coach Todd Bowles provides more details on Geno Smith inury. http://t.co/LCl9Ur8X2I
Word is Geno Smith put his finger in the face of IK Enemkpali’s during and argument that wasn’t getting difused. Then came the punch
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 11, 2015
Enemkpali was ranked third on the Jets depth chart at outside linebacker behind veterans Quinton Coples and Jason Babin. Undrafted rookie free agent Deion Barnes out of Penn State will get the next opportunity to fight for that position. Smith is “a candidate” for the IR/designated to return list according to Rapoport.
This incident makes you question whether Coach Bowles has a handle on the locker room. While these types of fights usually happen in the heat of the moment on the practice field, they don’t usually result in this type of injury or in a setting such as this one.
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