Geno Smith on standby if Ryan Fitzpatrick can't start against Texans

Ryan Fitzpatrick is on the mend after thumb surgery Friday. He's expected to start at quarterback in Houston on Sunday, but Jets coach Todd Bowles isn't guaranteeing it.

That means there could be a Geno Smith sighting if things don't go the Jets' way.

"I'm hopeful that he will be," Bowles said Monday of Fitzpatrick being OK for Sunday. "He had today off, he'll be off tomorrow, so we'll see on Wednesday how he feels."

Fitzpatrick's surgery "went fine," according to Bowles. But he said the Jets briefly considered resting the 11-year veteran this week to ensure there are no issues with his left thumb.

"It was a thought, but it wasn't a serious thought," he said. "Everything that was conveyed to us [was] that he would probably be able to play if everything went well. And everything went well."

The biggest issue for the coaching staff is assessing the 32-year-old's "pain progression," Bowles said, adding they'll need to see "if he can take snaps under center and see how he feels Wednesday.

"After the medication wears off, we'll go from there."

Though Fitzpatrick was at the facility at some point Monday, he did not practice. By the time Bowles held his afternoon news conference, Fitzpatrick was at home "resting," the coach said.

Bowles said he can wait as late as Friday afternoon to make a decision, based on Fitzpatrick's progress. But he also said, "If he doesn't practice all week, he's not playing."

If that's the case, Smith -- who lost his starting job to Fitzpatrick after former teammate IK Enemkpali broke his jaw during a training-camp fight -- will have to fill in for Fitzpatrick again.

After Fitzpatrick injured his thumb minutes into the Jets' 34-20 loss in Oakland on Nov. 1, Smith was called to action. He competed 27 of 42 attempts for 265 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Bowles expressed confidence in the third-year quarterback.

"Geno's our backup quarterback," he said. "He'll take the reps, Bryce [Petty] will take some reps. So if [Fitzpatrick] can't play, the next man will be up."

Bowles later said of Smith, the Jets' starter the previous two seasons: "Every player has got to be ready when his number's called. If you practice like a starter, when your time's called, you'll be ready for your opportunity."

That may be true, but the Jets hope to have Fitzpatrick against the Texans. Right now, Bowles is taking a wait-and-see approach.

"We've got to see about his pain level and see if there's any difference in how he took handoffs last week and the way he's taking them this week," Bowles said.

So how confident is Bowles that he'll have his starting quarterback against the Texans?

"I'm not sure," he said. "It would be unfair of me to say he's going to be fine. I'm not a doctor."