Quarterback Geno Smith has broken jaw after being punched in New York Jets’ locker room

Quarterback Geno Smith has broken jaw after being punched in New York Jets’ locker room 

Geno Smith’s hopes for a breakout season with the New York Jets took a major blow — to the jaw. The quarterback will be sidelined for at least 6 to 10 weeks with a broken jaw after being punched by teammate Ikemefuna Enemkpali in the locker room.


FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – Geno Smith’s hopes for a breakout season with the New York Jets took a major blow — to the jaw.

The quarterback will be sidelined for at least 6 to 10 weeks with a broken jaw after being punched by teammate Ikemefuna Enemkpali in the locker room Tuesday. Smith, entering his third season, will require surgery.

“It had nothing to do with football,” Jets coach Todd Bowles said. “It was something very childish, and he got cold-cocked, sucker-punched — whatever you want to call it — in the jaw.”

Enemkpali, an outside linebacker in his second season, was immediately released by the team.

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The incident was precipitated by a $600 debt Enemkpali believed Smith owed him, ESPN reported, citing unidentified people familiar with the situation.

Enemkpali bought a plane ticket for Smith to appear at his football camp in Texas last month, according to ESPN. The quarterback didn’t attend after a friend was killed in a motorcycle accident days before the camp and Enemkpali demanded to be repaid for the unused plane ticket, the network reported. The punch occurred after Enemkpali confronted Smith, who hadn’t reimbursed the money as he said he would, ESPN reported.

Enemkpali apologized to the team and its fans.

“Geno and I let our frustration get the best of us, but I should have just walked away from the situation,” Enemkpali said in a statement. “I deeply regret and apologize for my actions. It was never my intention to harm anyone.”

There were reports Smith put a finger near Enemkpali’s face before being punched.

First-season coach Bowles said the Jets could add another quarterback, but veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick will assume the starting job. Bryce Petty, a fourth-round pick this year out of Baylor, and undrafted free agent Jake Heaps out of Miami are the Jets’ other remaining quarterbacks. Heaps is a graduate of Skyline High School in Sammamish.
Notes

• A federal judge took a peacemaker’s role, urging New England quarterback Tom Brady and league commissioner Roger Goodell to find common ground to settle differences before he lowers the gavel on a controversy over deflated footballs.

U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman asked Brady and Goodell to “engage in further good faith settlement efforts” before they meet in Manhattan federal court Wednesday.

Two weeks ago, the NFL sued its players union, asking Berman to declare Goodell followed the league’s collective-bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Association when he suspended Brady for four games after concluding the quarterback had to know balls were purposefully deflated.

The union countersued to block the suspension.

• League owners met in Schaumburg, Ill., to hear more about moving at least one team to the Los Angeles market. The San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders presented a proposal for a stadium in Carson that includes 8-plus acres of rent-free land for the league to use as it sees fit, and St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke talked about his plan for a stadium in Inglewood.

Goodell said no voting occurred at the meeting.

• Pittsburgh signed kicker Garrett Hartley, 29, after Shaun Suisham suffered a serious knee injury Sunday.

• Arizona starting right tackle Bobby Massie, 26, has been suspended for three games for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy and will appeal, a source said.