The return of Geno Smith will have to wait. 

Smith was held out of Friday’s preseason opener against the Buccaneers with what coach Aaron Glenn called a “sore ankle.” 

“It actually happened to him in the last joint practice with Tampa [on Wednesday],” Glenn said. “Nothing to be alarmed about. He’ll be day to day.” 

Glenn said he told Smith on Thursday that he was not going to play as a precaution after Smith told the team his ankle was sore. The plan had been to play all the starters. 

Smith gets another chance to play next Friday in Pittsburgh against the Steelers if he’s healthy. 

Geno Smith practices at training camp in Florham Park, N.J. Bill Kostroun/New York Post

The Jets traded for Smith in March, acquiring him from the Raiders along with a seventh-round pick in exchange for a sixth-round pick. Glenn immediately said Smith would be the Jets starting quarterback. It’s a return to the Jets for Smith, who was a second-round pick of the team in 2013 and played for the Jets from 2013-16. 

Smith has been shaky so far in training camp and has had a bad week of practices, first against his own defense and then against the Buccaneers in joint practices. 

Glenn may have been nervous about putting Smith on the field against Tampa’s defense, which was all backups. It can be dangerous when guys just trying to make the team are on the field against starters. 

Cade Klubnik started with Smith out and played two series before Bailey Zappe replaced him. The Jets have Klubnik, Zappe and Brady Cook at quarterback behind Smith. Klubnik, a fourth-round pick from Clemson, is the favorite to win the No. 2 job behind Smith, but it is still possible general manager Darren Mougey will swing a trade for a veteran backup before the season starts Sept. 13. 

Jets quarterback Bailey Zappe (11) pitches the ball out to Jets running back Braelon Allen (0) during the first half of the Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers pre-season game in East Rutherford, NJ on Aug. 14. 2026. Bill Kostroun/New York Post

Zappe threw two interceptions in the game, including a pick-6. 

Cook, who started four games last season, was the third quarterback in the game on Friday night and went 9-for-15 for 108 yards. 

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Jets rookie CB Mory Bamba had a good night. Bamba had four passes defensed and also had four tackles. Bamba left briefly to be evaluated for a concussion but returned to the game. 

“He’s the one that really stands out,” Glenn said, “and it’s not just what he did on defense, but he did some good plays on special teams too.”