The New York Jets are rolling with Cade Klubnik, their fourth-round rookie out of Clemson, as the backup quarterback behind Geno Smith.

HC Aaron Glenn made it official, and the decision tells us a lot about how the Jets view Klubnik’s future. 

New York didn’t just hand him the QB2 job by default. They actively cleared the path, cutting Brady Cook and releasing Bailey Zappe before bringing Zappe back on the practice squad. That’s a statement.

Cook, who went undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft, had actual NFL experience. He played in about five games for the Jets last season. The performances were ugly, sure, but he didn’t have much to work with around him. 

The fact that the Jets fully let him walk, didn’t even hold three quarterbacks on the active roster, and handed the backup reins to a rookie? 

That tells me they genuinely like what they see in Klubnik. At least for now. 

Klubnik’s preseason and the practice reports

Now, Klubnik’s final preseason numbers weren’t anything to write home about: 21 of 34 for 190 yards, one interception, and four sacks. He wasn’t playing with the best talent around him, and I think the reports out of practice at Florham Park were much more positive than what we saw on the field. 

It wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t great, or at least not as good as we expected after hearing all those encouraging camp reports.

But this is also a risky move by the Jets. Geno Smith has stayed healthy over the last four years, playing in 15 games last season with the Raiders and logging a couple of full 17-game seasons in that stretch. 

He looked good in his one preseason drive. He’s a steady veteran presence. So how does Klubnik actually see the field?

Two paths to playing time

There are really only two ways Klubnik gets on the field right now. The first is the obvious one: Geno Smith goes down with an injury, and the Jets have to turn to the rookie. The second is if Smith strings together enough poor performances that Glenn and the coaching staff decide to give Klubnik a shot.

I don’t know if that second scenario is the best idea, though. Look at what Brady Cook went through last year. 

If we don’t expect the Jets to be a playoff-contending team this season (I assume most don’t), then throwing a fourth-round rookie into the fire on a bad roster might not be the ideal developmental path.

The bigger picture with the 2026 NFL Draft

Here’s where it gets really interesting from a long-term perspective. The Jets have three first-round picks next year, including the extra selections they acquired from the Sauce Gardner trade with the Indianapolis Colts. 

The 2026 NFL Draft class is expected to feature a very high-caliber group of quarterbacks. New York could very well be picking their franchise quarterback of the future next spring.

And yet, right now, the Jets are acting like Cade Klubnik could be that guy. So which is it?

I don’t know what’s going to happen down the line with the Jets and how they handle this situation. 

I think what everyone wants, and what would be the best outcome, is for Geno Smith to play all 17 games and put together a solid season. But it’s the NFL, and you never know.

Putting faith in Klubnik early

I do have faith in Cade Klubnik. I think he could be a good quarterback down the line. But he’s a fourth-round pick, and it’s going to take some time. 

Heck, we see first-round, top-pick quarterbacks who need time to develop, sit behind veterans, and learn the game. A Day 3 pick is going to need that runway even more.

One thing is clear, though. Aaron Glenn and the Jets are putting a lot of faith in Cade Klubnik early. Whether that faith is rewarded or whether New York ends up drafting its franchise quarterback next April, this season will go a long way toward answering the question.