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New York Jets wide receiver Arian Smith trying to make a play during an NFL game against the Buffalo Bills.

Time could be running out.

ESPN’s Rich Cimini said New York Jets wide receiver Arian Smith “could be in danger” of losing his job this offseason.

Smith, 24, will turn 25 during the 2026 season. He originally entered the league as the No. 110 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft.

Smith has three years remaining on his $5.2 million rookie contract.

An Underwhelming First Act

Last season, Smith appeared in 16 games and made five starts. With those opportunities, Smith was targeted 16 times, caught seven receptions, registered 52 receiving yards, and failed to score a touchdown.

Bluntly, Smith failed to make a significant impact offensively. He played in just 38% of the offensive snaps last year. Smith did show some flashes on special teams as a gunner, which is somewhat encouraging.

However, NFL teams don’t normally invest high fourth-round draft choices into gunners. Those fleeting moments alone won’t likely be enough to save his job this summer.

The Truth Shall Set You Free

The Jets received a ton of flak after selecting Smith in last year’s NFL draft.

NBC Sports draft analyst Connor Rogers called the selection a “massive reach.”

“I thought this was a sixth-round player … I don’t understand that pick,” Rogers added.

The Jets fell in love with the traits. The 6-foot 179-pounder blazed the NFL Combine with a 4.36 40-yard dash.

“Smith is the fastest player on the field. If a cornerback presses him and misses, he better have safety help because Smith averaged 36.5 yards on his 10 career touchdown receptions,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft profile.

During the offseason last year, after a Jets – New York Giants joint practice, Smith was meeting with a group of 25 fans. A fan asked him why we didn’t see any big plays during that day from him down the field.

Smith turned to the fan, smiled, and responded, “We’re saving that for the season” with a wink. The small group of Jets fans exploded in response with excitement.

Despite that hopeful comment, Jets fans never experienced that with Smith during his rookie campaign.

So what’s the truth? Was Smith just a bad pick, and he didn’t deliver? Or did the abysmal quarterback play ensure that Smith didn’t have a chance to show what he’s made of?

Smith Needs to Show More

Like anything in life, it was probably a little bit of A and a little bit of B. Smith didn’t seem ready to deliver, and the quarterback play wasn’t conducive to a rookie wide receiver thriving.

This offseason, there are no excuses. It’s do or die for Smith. If he doesn’t show more as a wide receiver, his days in New York are likely numbered.

Garrett Wilson, Omar Cooper Jr, Adonai Mitchell, and Isaiah Williams are all locks to make the 53-man roster.

Smith will be battling against the likes of Tim Patrick, Irvin Charles, and Quentin Skinner for those final few precious roster spots.

You can never have enough wide receivers who run fast and can take the top off a defense. The Jets have a need for Smith’s skill set, but he has to prove that his previous drop issues are behind him and that he can pick up the new playbook quickly.