Kerry Rhodes Benched

Jets safety Kerry Rhodes is heading to the bench. Jay Glazer of Fox Sports tweeted that players told him Rhodes was being benched for Eric Smith.

Rhodes hasn’t recorded a sack, interception, or forced fumble this season. He was drafted out of Louisville in the 4th round of the 2005 draft. Since being drafted he has started every game for the Jets. This will be the first game in his professional career he is not starting.

When Rex Ryan was hired by the Jets people expected Kerry Rhodes to become Ed Reed. Reed, a safety in Baltimore while Rex was defensive coordinator there, is considered the best in the business. Rhodes, on the other hand, has been a disappointment in Rex’s system.

Tackling isn’t Rhodes’ strong point, but he has missed some big tackles for the Jets this season. The athletic safety has taken criticism for doing more talking off the field (just check out his twitter account) than he should.

Rhodes will get back into the starting rotation within a few weeks. The Jets pay him too much to let him ride the bench in a losing season. His poor play could be attributed to him being too comfortable with his status and starting job on the team. Rex has thrown a wrench into his comfort level. This incident could drive Rhodes out of New York.

Rhodes’ replacement, Eric Smith, was a 3rd round pick by the Jets in 2006. He is not as athletic as Rhodes, but is a better tackler. He has four career interceptions, including one this year.