It might be time for the New York Jets to have a difficult conversation.
Jets reporter for Athlon Sports, Nick Faria, joined me on “Boy Green Daily” and explained why it’s time for the team to bench starting left tackle Tyron Smith.
“I think [it is time to bench Smith]. Listen when father time comes for you in the NFL, it comes fast,” Faria told me on Wednesday, October 16. “You have a picture-perfect replacement for Tyron Smith. Quite frankly I think it’s time for Olu Fashanu to get some reps in because you can not afford to have drives just be curtailed because your left tackle is getting beat at the point of attack. It just can not happen as easily as it has. With Tyron Smith, great leader, great person, and everything about it but at some point the Jets are going to have to do what’s right for the team. Just getting some of these younger players on the field could help save their season as well.”
NFL analyst Theo Ash shared a clip of Smith getting beat in a one-on-one situation against the Buffalo Bills in Week 6. With 3:47 remaining in the first half, Buffalo pass rusher A.J. Epenesa beat Smith immediately off the snap on a key third and 15 play and sacked Rodgers.
The sack took the Jets out of field goal range and they were forced to punt. A field goal would have tied the game at 13. Instead, Buffalo got the ball back and drove it in for a touchdown. The entire game flipped.
“Jeez Tyron Smith looks washed,” Ash responded to the viral video clip.
Tyron Smith Is Heading in the Wrong Direction for the Jets…
Every man can get beat on any given play. However, this was concerning for multiple reasons. It wasn’t the first time Smith has given up a sack this season and Epensa isn’t exactly a dynamic pass rusher.
Epenesa has never had more than 6.5 sacks in a single season. Heading into this game against the Jets, Epenesa only had a single sack to his name on the year.
If this guy is giving Smith problems, just imagine what T.J. Watt is going to do on Sunday Night Football in Week 7 against the Jets.
According to Pro Football Focus, Smith has given up five sacks through the season’s first six weeks.
For context, over the last six years [2018 through 2023], Smith had given up five sacks total during that period, per PFF. He has given up that same number in just the first six games of the year.
“He hasn’t given up more than 5 sacks since his rookie year,” Pat Thorman of Establish The Run revealed on social media.
Smith is in season No. 14 in the NFL. Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic said on X previously Twitter that Smith has only given up more than three sacks in a single season twice in his NFL career.
Jets Coach Defends Smith to the Media
Smith, 33, signed a one-year deal for $6.5 million this offseason to join the Jets. The deal has a maximum value of $20 million if he reaches certain playing time incentives and the team achieves playoff success.
The inherent risk of signing Smith this offseason for the Jets was his health. He hadn’t played a full NFL season since 2015. However, when he was healthy, Smith had proven to be one of the best offensive tackles in the league.
The former USC product is an eight-time Pro Bowler and a five-time All-Pro selection. Despite starting in every Jets game so far this season and playing 100% of the offensive snaps, Smith hasn’t been his old self for whatever reason.
“He is playing good football, but all he brings it’s not just the football, he brings so much to the classroom and the experience for these young guys as well. I really believe Olu is going to be a special player in this league and he’s so fortunate to be mentored by a guy like Tyron. Tyron is playing solid though and he would tell you that we could all play a little better, coach better, the whole thing. He is playing solid,” interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich said on Tuesday, October 15.
While the sacks allowed would say otherwise, there are some other stats to look at.
According to PFF, Smith has played solid football thus far. Smith has received a 70.8 overall grade, a 70.3 pass block grade, and a 69.3 run block grade from Pro Football Focus in 2024 through six games.
Those aren’t elite grades by any means, but they are serviceable. The problem is the Jets didn’t lure Smith to New York for solid, they brought him in to be elite. So far this season he has been anything but.
