Bowles, Jets Not Happy With Geno Smith Playing Catch After Surgery
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) — The New York Jets flagged Geno Smith for a false start.
Smith was photographed by the New York Post playing catch with a friend outside his New Jersey apartment Saturday, two days after the quarterback had jaw surgery. Smith had plates and screws inserted into the jaw, which was broken by a punch from then-teammate Ikemefuna Enemkpali on Tuesday.
The newspaper published a front-page image of Smith, his face swollen with black bandages on each cheek.
"He shouldn't be doing it right now," coach Todd Bowles said Sunday. "We handled that internally. We had that discussion."
Bowles also added that the matter "wasn't that big of a deal."
"It's not disappointing," he said. "It's just something you don't want to do, and we addressed it."
Smith is expected to be sidelined 6-10 weeks after being slugged by Enemkpali, who was released shortly after the incident and claimed on waivers by Buffalo.
WFAN co-host Joe Benigno is in no rush to see Smith.
"I'd cut him," Benigno said Monday morning.
Smith was released from the hospital Friday, and met with the Jets' doctors and trainers at the team's facility on Sunday.
"He just got surgery, so you don't want him getting infected," Bowles said. "They said he couldn't do anything physical, so I'm going by the rules of what they said."
The team announced that Smith is not yet ready to be at the facility on a full-time basis attending meetings and watching practice.
"That's up to the doctors," Bowles said. "Hopefully, soon."
The Post spoke briefly to Smith, who said he felt "great" and had a message for Jets fans: "Get ready for me to come back."
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