Jets QB Geno Smith has been around way too long to solely view the game through the positive lenses of rose-colored glasses. That said, this year Smith has joined a growing number of professional athletes who are wearing red-tinted contact lenses to cut down on glare from the sun and sharpen their focus.
“It’s something that we’ve been doing,” Smith said after practice on Thursday, a morning that dawned in haze and soaking humidity. “It’s actually pretty cool. It blocks out the sunlight and keeps it out of your eyes.”
Smith said he first came across the optical aide in 2013 when they were being worn by former Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes to help block blue light and UV rays
“As I got back here, I spoke to some eye specialists, and they suggested it,” Smith said, referring to his return to the Green & White after eight seasons elsewhere. “We started doing it. We like it.” He added: “The entire room is yellow, so it’s a yellow tint to everything. But yeah, it’s pretty cool. You guys [reporters] should try it.”
Whatever Smith has been seeing through the red tint is about getting the Jets into the red zone, then the end zone, with heightened efficiency. A big part will be using Smith’s experience and his live arm and deep-passing accuracy to carve up opposing defenses. The Jets’ longest pass play last season was a 52-yard scoring toss from Tyrod Taylor to Adonai Mitchell while the offense finished with the fewest passing yards in the NFL.
“We’re searching for explosive plays, but we’re also going to celebrate the intermediate game, too,” HC Aaron Glenn said. “But that’s what he [Smith] does.”