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Quarterback Geno Smith got a chance to return to the Jets starting lineup during the 2016 season, but there wouldn’t be a storybook ending to his trip back up the depth chart.

Smith tore his ACL in the first half of an October start against the Ravens that marked his first turn with the first team since the 2014 season. That injury came after the broken jaw that opened the door for Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2015 and Smith says the extended time on the bench due to the injuries has served to obscure the progress he’s made as a player.

“Being injured for two years has kind of taken that away from me,” Smith said to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media. “My mistakes were shown on the field the first two years, and then me getting better has kind of been behind the scenes. The next time I step onto the field, it’ll be what they expect. People want to see you get better, they want to see you move past your mistakes. I’ve done that, just behind the scenes.”

Smith will be a free agent when the curtain rises on the new league year opens next week and said that his goal isn’t to be a backup. He added that he’s open to filling that role, which is probably a good thing for his employment chances as it’s unlikely any team will be guaranteeing a starting job to a player who has barely played over the last two seasons.