The Jets are only four games into the season, but the Geno Smith-Cade Klubnik chatter is already back on the table, and that alone tells you how fast things have gone sideways in New York.
There’s no sign Aaron Glenn is about to make a quarterback move before Sunday’s game against the AFC North-leading Browns, and there’s a pretty simple reason for that: Smith has been steady enough. He hasn’t thrown an interception, he’s avoided the kind of mistakes that usually force a coach’s hand, and he’s been one of the few reliable spots during a three-game losing streak.
Still, the Jets are 1-3, and Glenn’s team keeps sinking. So the question naturally hangs there: should New York bench Smith for Cade Klubnik?
The answer, at least for now, is no. Smith hasn’t played himself out of the job, and Klubnik is not a first-round quarterback being protected for the future. There’s no obvious reason for Glenn or general manager Darren Mougey to rush into a switch this early.
But Glenn is the figure who makes this conversation different. The Jets are 4-17 through his first 21 games, and the patience around him is clearly thinning. Last Sunday’s win over the Bears was so sluggish that Chicago linebacker Devin Bush said he wasn’t sore afterward, with the Jets managing only 32 offensive plays.
That’s where the possibility of a late-game look at Klubnik starts to make sense. If the Jets are down 24-3 entering the fourth quarter on Sunday, what exactly does Glenn have to lose by putting the rookie in with the first unit?
That idea was floated before and after the draft, and it’s not without precedent. The Dolphins did it with seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers last year, and he wound up starting the final three games.
Nobody is saying Klubnik, a fourth-round pick in April, is guaranteed to become a star. But if Glenn’s future is in serious jeopardy, then keeping Smith locked in as the starter starts to look less necessary. If the Jets do move on from Glenn in the coming weeks, there’s even less reason to leave Smith untouched.
Mougey, then, might be better off quietly checking in with the Ravens or Commanders about Smith’s market. The two-time Pro Bowler could be insurance for another team, especially with Washington potentially turning to third-stringer Athan Kaliakmanis against the Giants on Sunday and Baltimore dealing with Lamar Jackson’s latest injury, even if the Ravens have not ruled him out for Week 5.
Smith turns 36 on Saturday, and he has long been viewed as a short-term answer. He’s done his part for a Jets team that seemed to trick everyone into believing it could stay in the mix. At this point, the organization may as well find out what it has in Klubnik before next spring’s draft shows up, with Arch Manning or Trinidad Chambliss possibly part of the picture.
And yes, it’s a strange place for the Jets to be. Not long ago, after the Week 1 win over Robert Saleh and the Tennessee Titans, everything felt just a little brighter. Those days feel a lot further away now.
In Other News...
Jets May Finally Get WR Help But One Question Still Looms
The Jets receiver room may be getting a little healthier soon, which comes as welcome news for an offense that has had to navigate injuries to key pass-catchers. Tim Patrick has now completed the required four-game absence and is eligible to return to practice, giving the team at least a chance to add some experienced help back into the mix after a stretch of uncertainty.
Omar Cooper Jr. is still a longer wait, since he remains on injured reserve and has to sit out at least one more game before his practice window can open. So while the roster picture is beginning to brighten at receiver, the bigger question for the Jets is how quickly that help can actually show up on the field, and whether Patrick will be ready to contribute right away once he ramps up. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Opponent Suddenly Has A Quarterback Issue To Sort Out
The Browns have opened the clock on a pair of injured-reserve returns, designating quarterback Dillon Gabriel and defensive tackle Kalia Davis to come back to practice. Cleveland now has 21 days to decide whether either player gets activated to the active roster, a timeline that adds another layer to a quarterback room already worth watching from afar.
Gabriels return is the more interesting subplot for Jets watchers because it forces Cleveland to sort out where he fits behind Deshaun Watson and backup Shedeur Sanders. Even before the Browns make a decision, the move hints at more quarterback evaluation work ahead, and any shuffle there is the kind of thing opponents keep an eye on as they prepare for a game plan. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Fans Just Got An Uncomfortable New QB Option
The Jets quarterback picture already has a few moving parts, and now another one has been dropped into the mix. NFL analyst Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report recently floated New York as a possible trade destination for San Francisco backup Mac Jones, putting a concrete price on the idea with a conditional 2027 second-round pick.
Jones has already bounced from the Patriots to the Jaguars to the 49ers, and he is currently sitting behind Brock Purdy in San Francisco. For the Jets, it is another reminder that the search for insulation behind Geno Smith is not necessarily finished, even with rookie Cade Klubnik in the building after being drafted in 2026 and getting preseason reps. [Read more 🡒]