The Jets’ backup quarterback race has been pared down to a simple two-man fight.
With Geno Smith installed as the starter, New York’s QB room has taken shape after a messy offseason that included a failed Justin Fields experiment and release, plus missed opportunities on other backup targets. Carson Wentz was among the names the Jets didn’t land, and Russell Wilson is no longer in the mix after retiring and joining CBS Sports as an analyst.
According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, the battle for QB2 now looks like it belongs to Bailey Zappe and Cade Klubnik. “Glenn said Klubnik, Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook will compete for the No. 2 job, though it appears to be a two-man competition -- Klubnik and Zappe,” Cimini writes.
That leaves the Jets with a fairly clean decision heading into camp, unless another outside addition changes the picture or Brady Cook makes an unexpected push.
Zappe brings the most NFL mileage. The 27-year-old has spent time with the New England Patriots in 2022 and 2023 and the Cleveland browns in 2024. In his career, he has 335 passing attempts, 2,223 yards, 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
Klubnik is the younger swing, and the one with the clearer long-term upside. The rookie fourth-round pick has only just begun his NFL journey, but he did show some promise during OTAs and minicamp before a minor back injury slowed his momentum.
His college production at Clemson gives the Jets a reason to dream a little bigger. Klubnik posted a 36-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio with 3,639 passing yards in 2024, then followed that with 2,943 yards, 16 touchdowns and 6 interceptions this past season. That regression pushed his draft stock down, and New York took him at No. 110 overall.
The Jets may not have planned to land on Klubnik as the backup behind Smith, but that’s where the board has taken them. With Wentz and Wilson off the table, the competition has narrowed to Klubnik and Zappe.
It could still go either way, but Klubnik’s upside appears to give him the edge. And with a strong supporting cast around him and Smith unlikely to play every game, the QB2 job carries real weight for New York this season.
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