Cade Klubnik made the most of his first preseason turn in a Jets uniform, and he did it in a way that should keep him squarely in the conversation for the backup quarterback job.
With veteran Geno Smith sidelined by an ankle issue, the fourth-round pick got the start Friday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home and handled the assignment without looking rattled. New York opened with a 12-play, 65-yard march that ended in a field goal, then Klubnik came right back and led a four-play, 48-yard touchdown drive. Backup running back Braelon Allen finished that series with a 31-yard scoring run.
Klubnik’s final line was modest but clean enough to stand out: five completions on seven attempts for 56 yards. His best throw came on a 21-yard connection with star wide receiver Garrett Wilson on third-and-eight from the Jets’ 40. He was also sacked once for a loss of two yards.
Most of his work came on shorter throws, and that was part of the point. Rather than forcing balls into traffic, the former Clemson quarterback took what Tampa Bay gave him underneath and kept the offense moving. For a rookie Day 3 pick stepping in for a veteran, that’s exactly the kind of showing teams want to see.
The competition behind Smith wasn’t as sharp. Bailey Zappe completed six of 10 passes for 56 yards and threw two interceptions after entering for Klubnik, with both picks coming on back-to-back drives.
Brady Cook later went nine for 15 for 108 yards. Cook is coming off a rookie season in which he completed 57.5% of his passes for 739 yards with two touchdowns and seven interceptions over five games with the Jets.
Klubnik is the only drafted player in that group, and that matters. The organization has more invested in his development, and Friday’s outing gave him a real boost in the race for the backup role. Head coach Aaron Glenn was pleased with what he saw, saying, "He has a moxie to him."
The early return from a four-year Clemson career gives Klubnik a little extra intrigue, and the possibility of a draft-day steal is now part of the conversation. But that momentum only matters if he keeps building on it in the weeks ahead.
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