Leonard Williams hasn’t forgotten the shock of being in the Jets’ locker room on Aug. 11, 2015.
And it makes him all the more appreciative of Geno Smith’s unique career arc — from the Jets quarterback who was sucker-punched by teammate IK Enemkpali that day to the 2022 Pro Bowl quarterback of the Seahawks, who will visit Williams’ Giants on Monday night.
“It’s awesome to see,” Williams said of Smith’s rise to signing a three-year, $75 million contract in March. “Because when I first came in the league he was the starting quarterback for the Jets, and it was a crazy eye-opener for me to see he got punched by a linebacker in the locker room and I was just like a rookie seeing this and was just like, ‘Whoa.’”
The fight over $600 that Smith reportedly owed Enemkpali left Smith with a broken jaw and set him on the road to journeyman backup quarterback — including a stop with the 2017 Giants, before Williams’ own crosstown move — until last season’s chance to replace Russell Wilson.
“Since that moment, he kind of got his opportunity taken away from him and he was trying to climb back,” Williams said. “It’s really cool to see him in a system that’s working well for him.”
Monday will mark Smith’s first start at MetLife Stadium since Oct. 23, 2016 and just his second since the punch heard around the NFL.
Enemkpali was immediately cut by the Jets.
“Especially at the quarterback position, it doesn’t happen often,” Williams said. “I feel like he just kept his head down, kept grinding. You can tell he just seems more comfortable and confident out there.”
RB Saquon Barkley (high ankle sprain) was a limited participant in practice, but showed no obvious signs of injury during the media viewing window.
He participated in individual drills for the first time since being helped off the field late in the fourth quarter of a win on Sept. 17.
“Going to … let him run around and see how he does,” head coach Brian Daboll said beforehand. “He’s making progress. I think this is a good evaluation today in pads to see where he’s at.”
The other limited participants were TE Daniel Bellinger (neck), DT D.J. Davidson (elbow), OLB Azeez Ojulari (hamstring) and LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring). OG Ben Bredeson was a full participant, so he should be out of the NFL-regulated concussion protocol by Friday.
The anticipated season debut of S Jamal Adams — a former Jet — adds a wrinkle to game preparation for the Giants. Will the Seahawks use three safeties — with Adams, Quandre Diggs and the former Giant Julian Love — or take a good player off the field?
“That’ll be something that we’ll have to see as the game goes on,” Daboll said. “[Adams is a] tough, smart, headsy player. Can make a lot of tackles, can be very disruptive, particularly if they bring him up. Whether it’s off the press off the slot, whether he plays in the back end, another good player.”