The New York Jets may not be done with Geno Smith, but one ESPN projection says the team won’t wait long before making a move to Cade Klubnik.
NFL insider Dan Graziano predicted the Jets will eventually bench Smith for Klubnik this season, saying the switch would come “once they fall out of contention.” In his view, New York is improved, Smith looks more like the version fans saw with the Seattle Seahawks, and the Jets can still land somewhere between six and eight wins. Even so, Graziano believes the team will shift its focus to the rookie once the season slips away.
“The Jets are better than they were in 2025,” Graziano wrote. “Smith shows that it was the Las Vegas Raiders' dysfunction and Chip Kelly's offense that held him back, and he looks more like his Seattle Seahawks self.
But once they fall out of contention, the Jets turn to Klubnik to evaluate his potential place in their future plans. They win somewhere between six and eight games, and Aaron Glenn gets another year as head coach.
The Jets maneuver with their trove of picks to select the quarterback they like the best.”
Klubnik has already given the Jets a reason to keep watching. In New York’s first preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Clemson product started and played well, going 5/7 for 56 passing yards. He stepped in for the injured Smith and helped drive the offense to two scoring drives.
There’s a chance he gets another look this week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, since Smith is still working through a left ankle injury. Head coach Aaron Glenn made it clear the team is still monitoring how Smith comes out of practice.
"I want to see exactly how he feels coming out of this practice to see how we're going to continue to move forward," Glenn said.
Klubnik’s stock looked much different not long ago. Entering the 2025 college football season, he was projected as one of the top picks in the 2026 draft, but a rough year for him and Clemson changed that outlook. The Jets still grabbed him with the 110th overall pick in the 2026 draft.
Even after that slide, Klubnik arrives with real production behind him. He finished the 2025 college football season with 2,943 passing yards and 16 passing touchdowns, and his Clemson career ended with 10,123 passing yards and 73 touchdowns.
For now, he’s battling Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe for the Jets’ No. 2 quarterback job. But if Smith’s struggles continue, the path to playing time could open fast.
Smith is trying to revive his career in a second stint with the Jets after leading the NFL in interceptions last season with the Raiders. His strongest NFL years came in Seattle, where he made the Pro Bowl in 2022 and 2023 and won the 2022 AP Comeback Player of the Year Award.
Smith has also reportedly been throwing a lot of interceptions in training camp, which only adds fuel to the idea that Klubnik could end up starting at some point in the 2026 regular season.
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Jets Face Real Roster Pressure In Pittsburgh After Rough Opener
The second preseason game in Pittsburgh arrives with more than the usual August fine print for the Jets, because a handful of jobs already feel unsettled after the opener. Xavier Newman entered camp as the projected backup center, but he has competition from rookie Anez Cooper, and the next chance to settle that battle comes against a Steelers front that will give the offense another hard look. It is the kind of game where every snap matters a little more, especially for players who cannot afford to blend in.
Bailey Zappe is in a similar spot at quarterback, chasing the backup role while Cade Klubnik has given the staff plenty to consider after his strong first outing. For the Jets, the broader picture is less about preseason polish and more about sorting out who can be trusted when the roster gets trimmed, with Pittsburgh offering another stage for those decisions to sharpen. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Fans Should Notice What Aaron Glenn Did With Cade Klubnik
Geno Smith was inactive for the Jets preseason game because of a sore foot, and that opened the door for rookie Cade Klubnik to get the start. In limited action, Klubnik handled the opportunity well, giving Aaron Glenn a clean look at a young quarterback in a setting where the staff can afford to evaluate without worrying about the regular-season pressure.
What stood out, though, was Glenns willingness to make that call at all. ESPNs Rich Cimini suggested the decision may have been shaped by the influence of former Jets coach Bill Parcells, though that remains speculation, and it fits the kind of measured, old-school approach Glenn has tried to bring into the building. For Jets fans, it is one more small sign that Glenn is setting a tone, even in August, with every choice carrying a little more meaning than a typical preseason lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Woody Johnson Just Gave Jets Fans A Fresh Reason To Debate Him
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For Jets fans, it is the sort of development that invites the familiar mix of curiosity and skepticism around an owner whose every move tends to get scrutinized in New York. It also nudges Johnson further into the global sports business world at a time when the Jets are trying to build momentum on the field, making his latest off-field step one more thing for a fan base to talk about as camp and the season approach. [Read more 🡒]