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Few quarterbacks have taken a path as winding as the Jets’ starter. Drafted by New York in 2013, he was benched, released, rebuilt in Seattle, traded to Las Vegas and sent back to the Jets in March 2026. Through Week 5, he has thrown for 1,084 yards and six touchdowns without an interception, yet the Jets sit at 2-3 after a 17-12 win over the Browns on October 11.

This guide gathers the verified numbers in one place: the 2026 game log, career totals, college record, trade and pay details, and family background. Anything that could not be confirmed has been left out.

Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Full name	Eugene Cyril “Geno” Smith III
Born	October 10, 1990, Miramar, Florida
Team and number	New York Jets, No. 7
Position	Quarterback
Listed size	6 ft 2 in, 221 lb
College	West Virginia (2009–12)
Draft	2013, Round 2, pick 39 (Jets)
Honors	2× Pro Bowl (2022, 2023), AP Comeback Player of the Year (2022)
Spouse	Hayley Eastham (married July 2015)
Latest game	Week 5 win vs. Browns: 17-of-30, 182 yards, 1 TD

Background, Age and Early Life

Eugene Cyril Smith III was born on October 10, 1990, in Miramar, Florida, to Eugene Smith Jr. and Tracy Sellers. His family traces back to Bimini in the Bahamas, and the nickname Geno comes from his grandfather, known as “Big Geno.” Smith turned 36 this month.

At the 2013 combine he measured 6 ft 2⅜ in and 218 pounds and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.59 seconds. His listed size today is 6 ft 2 in and 221 pounds.

At Miramar High School, he passed for 3,089 yards and 30 touchdowns as a senior and earned Parade All-American honors. He chose West Virginia over offers from Florida State, South Florida, Boston College and Alabama. His great-uncle Danny Smith was an All-American hurdler at Florida State, and his cousin Jeremiah Smith plays receiver at Ohio State.

Geno Smith Wife: Hayley Eastham and Family

Searches for the geno smith wife story lead to one name: Hayley Eastham. The two met as students at West Virginia and married in July 2015, years before his Seattle breakout. Reports describe Eastham as a patent litigation attorney, and the couple keeps a low profile. Details on the geno smith wife beyond that are mostly private, so none are added here.

Smith has a son, Seven Santana Smith, born July 17, 2019 and named after his father’s jersey number. Off the field, the geno smith wife and son rarely appear in headlines, which fits the quiet image Smith has kept through years of backup roles and a very public comeback.

Geno Smith College Path: West Virginia Record Book

Geno Smith college life began in 2009 at West Virginia, where he backed up senior Jarrett Brown as a freshman. He completed 32 of 49 passes for 309 yards that year. He became the starter in 2010 and threw for 2,763 yards and 24 touchdowns, including a late comeback win over Marshall.

The offense changed in 2011 under new coach Dana Holgorsen, and the numbers jumped. Smith set school records for completions, attempts and yards in a season. He tied three bowl records in a 70–33 Orange Bowl rout of Clemson, throwing six touchdown passes and totaling seven touchdowns. His 401 passing yards topped Tom Brady’s Orange Bowl mark.

His senior year produced the best Geno Smith college tape. He threw an NCAA-leading 42 touchdowns, including a 45-of-51, 656-yard, eight-touchdown game against Baylor.

Season	Cmp/Att	Yards	TD	INT
2009	32/49	309	1	1
2010	241/372	2,763	24	7
2011	346/526	4,385	31	7
2012	369/518	4,205	42	6
Career	988/1,465	11,662	98	21

College Honors and a Hard Finish

Those Geno Smith college totals still sit high in the West Virginia record book. He earned second-team All-Big East honors in 2010, first-team honors in 2011 and second-team All-Big 12 honors in 2012. He was named the Orange Bowl MVP and led the NCAA in touchdown passes as a senior.

Smith also collected weekly awards: four Big East offensive player of the week honors, three in the Big 12 and two national honors in 2012. He opened that final season 32-of-36 for 323 yards against Marshall and 34-of-39 for 411 against James Madison.

Then the year faded. West Virginia started 5–0, lost five straight, and finished 7–6. Smith closed with a 23-of-24, 407-yard game against Kansas, then threw for 201 yards and two scores in a 38–14 Pinstripe Bowl loss to Syracuse. He also majored in English.

Draft Day: Falling to the Jets at No. 39

Smith attended the first round expecting to hear his name, but E.J. Manuel was the only quarterback taken that night. Analysts pointed to a late-season slide as a senior, and some league executives questioned how he handled the draft process.

His Geno Smith college résumé had made him a consensus top prospect, and the Chiefs, Jaguars, Raiders, Eagles, Bills and Jets all showed interest before the draft. The Jets selected him 39th overall the next day.

He signed a four-year, $5 million rookie deal in July 2013 and won the starting job after Mark Sanchez was hurt in a preseason game. He also left his first agency after the draft and signed with Roc Nation Sports in May 2013.

NFL Career: Three Acts

Smith’s pro career has played out in three acts. In New York from 2013 to 2016 he started 30 games and set a Jets rookie record with 3,046 passing yards, though he also threw 21 interceptions that year. A broken jaw from a locker-room punch in 2015 and a torn ACL in 2016 ended that stretch, and the Jets released him.

The second act was a long apprenticeship. He backed up Eli Manning with the Giants, then served as a reserve with the Chargers and the Seahawks. In 2017 he made one start for New York’s other team, which ended Manning’s 210-game starting streak.

The third act began in 2022. Named Seattle’s starter after Russell Wilson left, Smith completed 69.8 percent of his passes, led the league in that category and threw for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns. He won Comeback Player of the Year and made two Pro Bowls.

NFL Geno Smith Stats by Season

Season	Team	Games	Cmp/Att	Yards	TD	INT	Rating
2013	Jets	16	247/443	3,046	12	21	66.5
2014	Jets	14	219/367	2,525	13	13	77.5
2015	Jets	1	27/42	265	2	1	87.9
2016	Jets	2	8/14	126	1	1	81.2
2017	Giants	2	21/36	212	1	0	84.5
2018	Chargers	5	1/4	8	0	0	39.6
2020	Seahawks	1	4/5	33	0	0	94.2
2021	Seahawks	4	65/95	702	5	1	103.0
2022	Seahawks	17	399/572	4,282	30	11	100.9
2023	Seahawks	15	323/499	3,624	20	9	92.1
2024	Seahawks	17	407/578	4,320	21	15	93.2
2025	Raiders	15	302/448	3,025	19	17	84.7
2026*	Jets	5	102/147	1,084	6	0	104.2
Career*		114	2,125/3,250	23,252	130	89	88.3

*Totals run through Week 5, 2026. He did not play in 2019. Career record as a starter through Week 4 was 43–59, and the Week 5 win moved it to 44–59.

His only career playoff start came in the 2022 wild-card round, when he went 25-of-35 for 253 yards and two touchdowns in a 41–23 loss at San Francisco.

First Stint With the Jets, 2013 to 2016

Smith opened his rookie year with an 18–17 win over Tampa Bay. Two weeks later he threw for 331 yards against Buffalo, the first 300-yard game by a Jets rookie quarterback. In Week 5 he went 16-of-20 for 199 yards and three touchdowns at Atlanta and was named AFC offensive player of the week.

The year ended with 3,046 yards, 12 touchdowns, 21 interceptions and six rushing scores. In 2014 he finished with 2,525 yards and 13 touchdowns, plus a perfect passer rating in the season finale at Miami: 20-of-25 for 358 yards and three scores.

The low points were just as memorable. Against Buffalo that October, he completed 2-of-8 passes with three interceptions and was benched. In August 2015, a teammate broke his jaw in a dispute over a small debt, which cost him his starting job to Ryan Fitzpatrick. A torn ACL in Week 7 of 2016 ended his Jets run.

Seattle Years, Part One: The 2022 Breakout

Smith re-signed with Seattle in 2021 and stepped in when Wilson was injured, throwing for 702 yards and five touchdowns in four games. That small sample earned him the 2022 job after Wilson was traded to Denver.

He opened with 23-of-28 for 195 yards and two scores in a 17–16 win over the Broncos. Three weeks later he threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score in a 48–45 win at Detroit, earning NFC offensive player of the week.

In the finale, Smith passed Wilson’s franchise single-season passing mark of 4,219 yards and beat the Rams in overtime to clinch a playoff spot. He finished with a 100.9 passer rating and 30 touchdowns, was named NFC offensive player of the month for October, and made his first Pro Bowl. Geno Smith stats from that 2022 run remain the high-water mark of his career.

Seattle Years, Part Two: 2023 and 2024

In March 2023, Seattle gave him a three-year, $75 million deal. He opened with 328 yards and two touchdowns in an overtime win over Detroit and later set a career high with 369 yards in a 29–26 win over Washington.

Against Dallas he totaled four touchdowns and 334 yards in a loss. He finished with 3,624 yards and 20 touchdowns, and set an NFL record with seven go-ahead touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and overtime, which earned a second Pro Bowl.

In 2024, he threw for 4,320 yards and passed Seattle’s season record again. He had 395 yards in a loss to the Lions, and his 13-yard touchdown run with 12 seconds left beat the 49ers 20–17. A 10-win season and a completion rate above 70 percent triggered $6 million in incentives.

Raiders Season: 2025

Las Vegas traded for Smith in March 2025 and reunited him with former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll. In his debut he threw for 362 yards in a 20–13 win over the Patriots, a franchise record for yards in a debut.

The geno smith contract signed that April ran through 2027, which made the slide more costly. The Raiders won only two of his 15 starts. He finished with 3,025 yards, 19 touchdowns and a league-high 17 interceptions, including nine through the first five games. In Week 5 at Indianapolis, he went 25-of-36 for 228 yards and two interceptions in a 40–6 loss.

Carroll was fired in January 2026 after one season, and the Raiders moved on from Smith two months later. That set up the trade back to New York.

Career Milestones

• Jets rookie record: 3,046 passing yards in 2013.
• Seahawks records: single-season passing yards in 2022, then again in 2024.
• NFL record: seven go-ahead touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and overtime in a season (2023).
• Raiders record: most passing yards in a debut, 362 (2025).
• 100th career start: Week 2 of 2026 against the Packers.
• Opening-day efficiency: the first Jets quarterback since the merger with 200 yards, 75 percent accuracy, a 100 rating and no sacks or interceptions in a season opener.

2026 Season Log: Weeks 1 to 5

Week	Opponent	Result	Smith’s line
1	at Titans	W 23–10	19/24, 215 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
2	Packers	L 20–17 (OT)	27/41, 247 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
3	at Lions	L 31–24	31/37, 321 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
4	at Bears	L 23–12	8/15, 119 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
5	Browns	W 17–12	17/30, 182 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT

Weeks 1 to 3: A Strong Start

The opener marked his return to the Jets for the first time since 2016. Smith was not sacked and posted a passer rating of 104.0. The Jets ran for 152 yards, so he did not need to throw much.

Week 2 was his 100th career start. He threw his first touchdown pass as a Jet since 2016, a five-yard strike to Garrett Wilson, but the Jets blew a 10-point lead and lost in overtime. Smith was sacked four times and hit ten times, and the NFL later fined him $11,491 for taunting in that game.

In Week 3, Smith went 31-of-37 for 321 yards and three touchdowns at Detroit. A fumble with 45 seconds left was recovered by the Lions, and New York fell 31–24.

Weeks 4 and 5: Pressure Builds

Chicago controlled Week 4 in every phase. The Bears piled up 492 yards to the Jets’ 157, and New York ran a franchise-low 32 plays. Smith’s best moment was a 58-yard touchdown to Isaiah Williams.

Week 5 brought a rainy afternoon at MetLife Stadium. Smith finished 17-of-30 for 182 yards and a 32-yard touchdown to Wilson in the first quarter. He also ran five times for seven yards and lost a fumble on a fourth-quarter strip-sack. He was sacked four times for 40 yards, but the Jets still won 17–12. Geno Smith stats through five games show efficiency and pressure in equal measure.

Best and Worst Games of 2026

His best day by volume came in Week 3, when he threw for 321 yards and three touchdowns on 31 completions. His best day by efficiency was the opener, a 79.2 percent completion rate with no sacks, 9.0 yards per attempt and a 104.0 rating.

The low points were Week 4, when he completed only eight of 15 passes for 119 yards behind a collapsing offense, and Week 5, when rain, four sacks and a lost fumble held him to 182 yards. Neither game included an interception.

Pro Football Reference lists his 2026 yards per attempt at 7.4 through five games. That is slightly above his career figure of 7.2, which suggests the efficiency is real even if the Jets’ offense is not producing points at a high rate.

2026 Geno Smith Stats at a Glance

Category	Through Week 5
Completions/attempts	102/147 (69.4%)
Passing yards	1,084 (216.8 per game)
Yards per attempt	7.4
Touchdowns/interceptions	6/0
Passer rating	104.2
Sacks taken	16 for 134 yards
Rushing	18 carries, 43 yards
Fumbles	4 (2 lost)

The clean turnover column stands out. Last year he threw nine interceptions through his first five games in Las Vegas, and this year he has none. The pressure is the problem: he was sacked 12 times in his three games before Week 5 and took four more against Cleveland.

The Jets Offense Around Smith

Smith works in a system led by coach Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Frank Reich. After Week 2, Glenn said he trusted his quarterback and thought he was doing a solid job.

Wilson has been his main target, catching a five-yard touchdown in Week 2 and a 32-yard score in Week 5. Breece Hall ran for more than 100 yards in the opener and caught a 43-yard pass in Week 2, but a quad injury has limited the backfield since. Adonai Mitchell had six catches for 63 yards against Green Bay.

The ground game has been inconsistent. The Jets ran for 152 yards at Tennessee, then managed just 67 yards on 27 carries against the Packers. That swing explains why Smith’s workload has changed from week to week.

Geno Smith Contract: Trade, Pay and Cap Details

The geno smith contract story has more turns than most. He signed a four-year, $5 million deal as a rookie, then re-signed with Seattle in March 2023 on a three-year, $75 million deal. In March 2025, the Raiders sent the No. 92 pick (used on Jalen Milroe) to Seattle for him and agreed to a two-year, $75 million extension in April.

After the 2-13 season, the Raiders planned to release him. They traded him instead. On March 10, 2026, Las Vegas sent Smith and a seventh-round pick to the Jets for a sixth-rounder, No. 208 overall.

Date	Deal
July 2013	Jets rookie deal: 4 years, $5 million
March 2023	Seahawks: 3 years, $75 million
April 2025	Raiders: 2-year, $75 million extension
March 2026	Traded to Jets; restructured for $19.5 million in 2026

How the 2026 Pay Is Split

Before the trade, Smith agreed to restructure. His total pay is $19.5 million, which is $1 million more than the $18.5 million he had guaranteed. The Raiders cover a $16.2 million bonus, and the Jets pay a $3.3 million base salary, just over the veteran minimum.

Because the geno smith contract was reworked before the deal, the restructure did not leave Smith worse off. Las Vegas is paying about 83 percent of his 2026 money. The geno smith contract on his old deal showed a $26.5 million base salary and a $39.5 million cap hit for 2027, but available reports do not detail what happens after this season, so this guide does not speculate.

The Jets also gain cap flexibility. They already carry Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields on the 2026 payroll, so a near-minimum starter keeps the books open for later moves under general manager Darren Mougey and coach Aaron Glenn.

Why the Jets Are 2-3 Despite Clean Numbers

The record does not match the passing line. In Week 2, the Jets held a 10-point lead before Green Bay tied the game and won in overtime, after New York won the coin toss, received the ball and went three-and-out with two sacks and a false start.

Week 3, a late fumble at Detroit cost the Jets a chance to tie or win. In Week 4, Chicago’s 492 yards overwhelmed an offense that ran only 32 plays.

The defense has also been a concern. Preseason analysis expected it to rank among the league’s weakest, which would put more pressure on Smith to produce late in games.

Fantasy Outlook

Smith went undrafted in most fantasy leagues, and the early returns explain why. After a QB29 finish in Week 4, RotoBaller ranked him 26th for Week 5 and noted the Browns had at least three sacks in three straight games. The Jets were also without Breece Hall and Adonai Mitchell.

His Week 5 line was modest, and fantasy outlets now list him as a quarterback-two option for Week 6. Geno Smith stats show a floor of around 120 yards on a bad day and over 300 on a good one, so he is best used as a streamer in deeper or two-quarterback formats.

Smith Against New England

Smith has a long history against the Patriots. In 2013, he went 15-of-35 for 214 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions in a 13–10 road loss. Five weeks later he went 17-of-33 for 233 yards and two touchdowns in a 30–27 overtime win.

In 2014, he threw for 226 yards in a 27–25 loss when a blocked field goal ended the potential winning drive. His most recent meeting was his Raiders debut in 2025, when he passed for 362 yards in a 20–13 win.

Next Game: Week 6 at the Patriots

The Jets visit New England in Week 6 with a 2-3 record. No injury designation has been reported for Smith after Week 5.

The matchup is another test of pass protection. If the line holds up, his accuracy and the absence of turnovers give New York a path to a winning record.

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Source: NFL