There was a hope that defensive lineman Kingsley Enagbare would re-sign with the Green Bay Packers in free agency earlier this month. With Micah Parsons still rehabbing from a torn ACL he suffered late last season, the Packers need all of the pass-rushing help that they can get.
Enagbare didn’t produce sack numbers (2.5 in 2025) like Parsons or Rashan Gary, who was ultimately traded to the Dallas Cowboys, but still made his presence felt on the Packers’ defensive line. However, it appeared that Enagbare had other plans, signing a one-year, $9 million deal with the New York Jets.
Enagbare taking a one-year prove-it deal with the Jets is risky, given that New York was one of the worst teams and defenses in the NFL last year. With that being said, the Jets being terrible in 2025 has likely afforded Enagbare a chance to start, which may or may not have been the case in Green Bay in 2026.
But Enagbare’s 2026 success may hinge on the performance of veteran quarterback Geno Smith. According to Judy Battista of NFL.com, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn confirmed that Smith is their starting quarterback, which could have the ex-Packer regretting his latest career move.
Kingsley Enagbare Might Regret Leaving Packers for Jets
Jets fans and Enagbare likely hope that Glenn is making the correct call with Smith. The veteran quarterback is coming off a horrific 2025 season with the Las Vegas Raiders. All of it wasn’t his fault, as he didn’t have the best weapons at WR, nor did he have a good offensive line (sacked 55 times in 15 games).
That said, it doesn’t excuse Smith’s performance on the field completely. The 35-year-old signal caller completed 67.4% of his passes for 3,025 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions. If that quarterback shows up this upcoming season, Enagbare and the rest of the Jets’ defense should expect to be on the field more often.
Now, given the other additions that the Jets made on defense, there’s a chance that this unit might be okay, and it could afford the opportunity for Enagbare to make plays. If that were to happen, it would open the door for him to hit free agency for a much bigger payday.
However, the worst-case scenario is that the Jets struggle again to get after the quarterback and get gashed by the run, meaning Enagbare might have to settle for a cheaper one-year deal than the one he got this offseason.
The best-case scenario is that Smith looks like he did in 2022, when he led the Seahawks to the playoffs. During that season, the veteran QB completed 69.8% of his passes for 4,282 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
After only starting in 21 games throughout his four seasons with the Packers, Enagbare could be in store for an expanded role in New York, which he must take advantage of. While he can’t worry about the offense, the ex-Packer can only hope the offense shows up because if not, it will be a long year.
And at that point, Enagbare might have wondered what could have been if he were still in Green Bay.