Frank Reich 'fired Up' About Progress Of Jets Offense, 'laser-focused' Geno Smith

Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich said he is “really fired up” about the progress his side of the ball has made in the early goings of training camp.

“It’s been outstanding,” Reich said. “Came back from the spring, feel like we picked right up, we didn’t have to go back and totally reset the deck.”

This is Reich’s first NFL training camp since 2023 during his lone season as head coach of the Panthers, which went south in a hurry and ended after a 1-10 start. A lesson learned from his time in Carolina: “Trust players.”

“This game is about players,” he said. “You can’t flinch. We as an offensive coaching staff, we talk about it all the time: We know we have the talent to do what we want to do this year. What does that exactly look like? I’m not sure yet. 

“I just know we have the talent and we have the quarterback to do good things.”

The quarterback is veteran Geno Smith, who, while he is entering his 14th season and will turn 36 in early October, Reich praised as a much younger player.

“It feels like he’s 28,” Reich said of Smith. “He is in his prime physically. His arm, the way he moves, his feet in the pocket. He’s physically in his prime.”   

While the OC may see youth on the field and “pure throwing mechanics,” the experience is certainly something that is helping Smith take the reins of Gang Green’s offense once again.

“Geno’s a leader, he’s the leader of the offense,” Reich said. “Make no mistake about it in every way, shape, and form. What has become crystal clear to me in this early time in training camp, the attribute that sticks out to me is his laser focus. 

“This man is laser-focused like people don’t understand. He comes to work. He comes to work, and he is locked in. And I feel like the whole offense plays off of that. That’s a really big deal.” 

Reich pointed to the offensive line where “it all starts” for the offense, calling left tackle Olu Fashanu and right tackle Armand Membou “monster players” who are paired with a stout inside.

“We feel really good about that front five,” the OC said. “Feel like they’re syncing. We feel like they’re all strong leaders. Those two tackles are beasts, and we’re gonna play to their strengths.”

On Membou, Reich called him "a powerful man, an explosive man."

"He doesn't want to lose a rep to anybody, any time, anywhere. He's got an intensity about him," the OC. "Membou brings an intensity that everybody feeds off. We feed off Geno's focus and Membou's intensity."

Reich then went down the line: On the tight end group, he is “super excited about all of ‘em” and the “whole group is super talented, super versatile, feel very confident in all of ‘em.” On the receivers, “it’s a strong group” that is led by Garrett Wilson that “can create the explosive plays that we need.” On the running backs, the excitement was rather focused on Breece Hall.

“What a phenomenal player,” Reich said of Hall. “Just getting a chance to see him now that we got pads on, it’s different. Like, he’s different.

“Man, am I glad we got that done. Super glad we got that done… so versatile and so smart.”

One challenge facing Reich and the offense is tight end Kenyon Sadiq’s injury setback that will see him miss a few weeks. But the OC said the rookie is “very mature, very engaged, locked in” to the meetings, and while missing practice matters, “when it’s time, we’re confident he’ll be ready whenever that is.”

Asked about his impression of rookie quarterback Cade Klubnik’s camp thus far, Reich said the fourth-round draft pick has been good.

"I really like how he's come back mentally, and I feel like he’s taken a good step mentally,” the OC continued. “It’s a lot now. I think we’re at the point where everything is pretty much in. He shows the aptitude to pick it all up. The aptitude for big plays.

“Just continue to weather the storm, and there will be some storms. You’re a rookie quarterback, you’re gonna take your lumps. But I’m happy with the whole quarterback room. All those guys that are competing for the No. 2 quarterback spot are doing a good job.”