Jets' Geno Smith breaks jaw in locker room altercation, out 6-10 weeks

The growing positive buzz surrounding the New York Jets took a sharp turn Tuesday with news that quarterback Geno Smith will miss 6-to-10 weeks with a broken jaw.

Smith was injured in a locker room altercation, head coach Todd Bowles revealed, and will require surgery.

Linebacker Ikemefuna Enemkpali reportedly sucker-punched Smith after Smith put his finger in Enemkpali's face during an argument. Enemkpali has since been released.

Bowles called the argument "childish" and said it was not related to football. The coach talked to both players about the altercation, before the Jets released Enemkpali, and was angry with both of them, saying, "it takes two to tango."

"It's something we don't tolerate," Bowles said of the incident. "It's something we can't stand. You don't walk up to another man and punch him in the face."

Teammates broke up the fight and Smith did not throw a punch. Bowles would not comment on what led to the altercation, but said Enemkpali would have been cut even if he was a starter.

"We're not going to tolerate anything like that from anybody." Bowles reiterated. "We don't care who you are."

Enemkpali issued a statement apologizing for the incident:

With Smith sidelined for at least the first few weeks of the regular season, the Jets will turn to journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick as their starting quarterback. Bowles confirmed the news at an afternoon press conference.

"I'm confident in Ryan. He's had a good camp. He's a pro...He's got a lot of games under his belt," Bowles said.

Fitzpatrick enjoyed the best stretch of his career with the Buffalo Bills from 2010-12 under former Bills head coach and current Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey. In three seasons under Gailey, Fitzpatrick completed 60.3 percent of his passes for 10,232 yards, 71 touchdowns, and 54 interceptions.

Rookie quarterback Bryce Petty, the Jets' fourth-round pick in May, doesn't appear to be a candidate to start in Smith's absence. Petty is "not even close" to being ready, a team source told NFL Network's Jeff Darlington.

Smith, the Jets' second-round pick in 2013, has completed 57.5 percent of his passes with 25 touchdowns and 34 interceptions as a pro.