After three successful seasons with the Seahawks, Geno Smith‘s play took a nosedive last year in Las Vegas.

He led all quarterbacks with 17 interceptions, which contributed to the Raiders’ 3-14 record.

But following his trade to the Jets this week, Smith says he is “extremely confident, but not arrogant” about regaining the Pro Bowl form he found in Seattle.

“I know there’s a lot of hard work that needs to be done,” Smith said on Thursday to reporters during a Zoom press conference. “I’m a lot better than I was those years.

“Statistics will always be a funny thing, but the reality is, like I said, the experiences I’ve gained, even last season, has made me a better quarterback. I’ve learned a lot and seen a lot, and you know, I’m pushing myself every single day in training to be a better player and I believe I still have room to grow. I believe I still have a ton of years left on my body to play this game, and I want to continue to try and maximize it.

“So, I believe the Jets are getting a better player than I was in Seattle.”

After bouncing around as a backup following his time with the Jets, Smith, 35, had the best seasons of his career while in Seattle. In both 2022 and 2023, Smith was selected to the Pro Bowl after averaging 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions during those two seasons.

Smith played one final season with the Seahawks in 2024, but his play dipped. He still threw for an impressive 4,320 yards and 21 touchdowns, but he was second in the NFL in interceptions with 15. That continued after he was traded to the Raiders last year.

Smith finished with his fewest passing yards (3,025) as a full-time starting quarterback since 2014. He also finished with only 19 touchdowns and was sacked a league-high 55 times.

The Jets are banking on Smith steadying their quarterback position for the 2026 season while they search for their QB of the future. They will have three first-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, which is expected to feature several talented quarterback prospects. That’s why they traded Smith and a sixth-round pick this week to the Raiders for a seventh-round pick.

Smith now returns to where it all began for him in the NFL. In 2013, the Jets drafted him in the second round (39th overall) and he started all 16 games during his rookie season. Smith was the team’s starter for 29 games before he was relegated to the bench for his final two seasons.

Smith lost his starting role after he was punched in the face following a locker-room dispute. Before that point, though, Smith’s play was putrid, passing for 5,962 yards, 28 touchdowns and 36 interceptions.

“I don’t think anyone could have imagined that, honestly,” Smith said about his return. “But that’s the beauty of life itself.

“I make plans all the time, and rarely do they go exactly as I planned them. The great part about me being back is that, initially, when I was drafted there, my goal was to play my entire career for the Jets and one day retire as a Jet. Just to come back now, to have an opportunity to continue to play this game that I love so much, and to be a part of that organization again, the organization that gave me a chance coming out of West Virginia, and really believed in me.”

Smith will join a Jets offense that was among the worst units in the league last year. With Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor and Brady Cook all starting games throughout the season, the Jets averaged just 17.6 points per game, which ranked 29th out of 32 teams. They were also 29th in passing yards per game (263.6).

Despite the Jets’ offensive struggles, Smith highlighted the young talent on the team’s roster, including wide receiver Garrett Wilson, running back Breece Hall and tight end Mason Taylor.

“Really, when I look at this offense, man, it always starts up front,” Smith said. “I haven’t really fully immersed myself into it, but from the knowledge that I have, I believe the offensive line, especially the young guys, played really well last year, and hopefully those guys will continue that. I’ll get into the building and get to meet those guys and we’ll all push ourselves and really try and get this thing going so that we can be a really good offense.”

Smith will also reunite with Demario Davis, who signed a two-year, $22 million contract this week. The two played together for three seasons while with the Jets (2013-15).

“Man, what an incredible journey, what an incredible story in its own right,” Davis said about Smith. “Not just the fact that we get a chance to be reunited here, but I’ve just been amazed at watching his journey and his maturity grow inside of this game and the leader that he is and the quarterback that he is.

“I know there’s nobody that’s gonna come in and work harder for this organization than him and it is really excited to be a part of it.”