It looks like Philip Rivers will have a new backup quarterback. Geno Smith and the Chargers reached an agreement on a deal that will bring Smith to Los Angeles, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. It’s a one-year deal, per Schefter and ESPN.com’s Eric Williams.
Smith will reunite with Anthony Lynn, who was a Jets offensive assistant during his first two seasons with the team.
The sixth-year quarterback met with both the Bolts and Seahawks this offseason, with the Chargers receiving the first meeting. He will trek to L.A., leaving Seattle without a proven backup to Russell Wilson. Smith and Cardale Jones are now in line to fill out the Chargers’ Rivers-centric QB meetings.
Having spent a year backing up the player once traded for Rivers, Smith made one start for the Giants and ended up snapping Eli Manning‘s historic streak. That caused quite a bit of uproar and accelerated the changing of the guard in New York. Smith saw action in just two Giants games last season and only three Jets contests from 2015-16, with the infamous locker room skirmish with IK Enemkpali playing a role in sidetracking the former second-round pick’s career.
Entering his age-28 season, Smith holds a career 57.9 completion percentage and has thrown 29 touchdown passes compared to 36 interceptions. He started a loss to the Raiders in Oakland last season, completing 21 of 34 tosses with a touchdown on a depleted Big Blue team.
Rivers has not missed a start since taking over the Bolts’ passing reins in 2006. Jones did not throw a pass last season with the Bolts. Longtime Rivers backup Kellen Clemens, who threw eight passes in 2017, is a free agent. Rivers’ backup for the past four seasons, Clemens seems poised to head elsewhere now. The Seahawks could be a fit, with the 34-year-old quarterback having worked under new Seattle OC Brian Schottenheimer with the Rams earlier this decade.
Good spot for Geno to land.
Geeeeeez … Good Luck Chargers.
Keep Rivers healthy !
Geno is dumb…Rivers won’t like this. Clemens rode with 17 to practice on their daily commute from SD to LA in the “bus”. Coach wants a mobile QB, GM better find one in the draft. Jones hasn’t got a good look.
Yup, writing is on the wall. They are going to draft Lamar Jackson in the 1st round.
Not a bad idea.
Leech On Baby, Leech On.
You will often hear front office management explain a signing of this type by claiming the guy is insurance against disaster….but in this case Geno IS the disaster.