It only looks like Geno Smith is seeing red.
The Jets quarterback is sporting red contact lenses during training camp practice to help cut down on glare on the practice field.
“It’s something that we’ve been doing,” Smith said Thursday. “It’s actually pretty cool. it blocks out the sunlight and all that, so it’s actually pretty cool. It keeps the glare from the sun out of your eyes.”
Former Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes used to wear red contacts during games when he played for the team. Smith and Holmes actually spent one season together in 2013, Smith’s first as a pro. He remembers that Holmes wore them, but he said the idea to start wearing them now came from some eye specialists.
“The entire room is yellow, so it’s a yellow tint to everything,” Smith said. “It’s pretty cool. You guys should try it.”
Jets coach Aaron Glenn was asked about the offense and defense battling in practice and which unit is getting the better of the other.
“I said this to the players the other day: For a head coach, you usually leave practice pissed off because if the offense has a great day then, obviously, the defense didn’t,” Glenn said. “But then if the defense had a great day, obviously the offense didn’t. And that’s not a bad thing, you know, but it’s just a competition, and these guys are giving it all. They’re giving me everything that I’m asking to give. And again, game-like intensity, and we have to continue to really focus in on that every rep. Every rep is important to us.”
Rookie CB D’Angelo Ponds has yet to practice in training camp as he deals with a calf injury. Ponds was on a side field working with trainers on Thursday, which is a positive sign.
“Ponds is getting close, he’s moving around,” Glenn said. “The thing is: I don’t want to put a date on it just yet, but he’s another guy that I know he’ll be ready; he’ll be ready in the next couple of weeks, I’ll say that. But he’s moving around.”
Glenn said he is not worried about Ponds falling behind because he is still getting work in the classroom.
“Now, it’s nothing like doing it on the field, which we’ve got to see, but I’m not concerned with that player at all,” Glenn said. “Again, he’s a smart player. He knows exactly what he’s doing. The thing is: He’s playing inside and outside, but he’ll be just fine.”
Glenn said rookie TE Kenyon Sadiq is going to miss a “couple of weeks” after suffering a setback in his recovery from hernia surgery. Glenn said he is confident Sadiq will return in time for the regular season.
DE Kingsley Enagbare (ankle), RB Isaiah Davis (knee) and CB Nahshon Wright (hip) did not practice Thursday. Glenn said Davis may miss a few weeks.
The Jets claimed DT Junior Tafuna off waivers from the Texans on Thursday. They waived DL Patrick Jenkins in the corresponding move.
