The Jets have a simple job tonight in Pittsburgh: get a look at all four quarterbacks, but don’t waste the snaps where they matter most.
New York is set to face the Steelers in its second preseason game at 7 p.m. EST, and unlike last week, all four quarterbacks are expected to be active.
Geno Smith, who was unexpectedly scratched less than two hours before kickoff in the opener because of ankle soreness, is back in line to start. The bigger question is how long he should stay on the field.
The answer is not very long. Smith should get one or two drives, enough to shake off the rust and get some live work in Frank Reich’s offense, but not enough for the Jets to overexpose a 35-year-old quarterback they need healthy and sharp for Week 1.
If he opens with a touchdown drive, that should be the cue to shut him down. If the first series goes nowhere, give him one more chance and move on.
Anything beyond two drives would be too much.
That short look will still matter. Smith’s preseason stint won’t settle anything on its own, but after an uneven camp, it should offer at least a useful snapshot of where he stands in Reich’s system.
Jets fans will naturally try to read too much into it. They always do.
But this is more barometer than verdict.
The heavier workload needs to go to Cade Klubnik. The rookie barely got a real audition in last week’s opener, when he threw only seven passes, played 15 snaps and completed five of them for 56 yards.
Both of his drives ended with points, which is exactly why the Jets need more than a cameo. Klubnik should be the quarterback who logs the bulk of the remaining preseason work, somewhere in the range of five to six series.
He’s the one with the real evaluation hanging over him. Klubnik appears to be the front-runner for the backup job, but New York still needs a bigger sample before making that call final.
Like Smith, he has had an uneven camp. Unlike Smith, he’s a Day 3 rookie trying to grab a meaningful role.
The Jets also need to know whether they should look outside the building for a veteran backup before the season begins.
Last week, Klubnik was working with the starters because Smith was dealing with foot soreness. Tonight should be different. He’s expected to run the second-team offense, which gives the Jets a better chance to see what he can do in the role he’d actually occupy if he wins the job.
That leaves Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook to split whatever is left. And yes, both will probably play.
Aaron Glenn said last week he wanted to see all four quarterbacks during the preseason, and that approach makes sense. But it shouldn’t come at the expense of Klubnik’s reps.
Zappe and Cook have both had their chances. Cook started the final four games last season and struggled badly.
Zappe has nine career starts, and both quarterbacks have thrown more interceptions than touchdowns in the regular season.
There’s still some reason to watch them. Third- and fourth-string quarterbacks don’t get many live reps, and any sign of improvement would be worth noting. But the Jets should already know enough about both players to keep them at the back end of the game and let Klubnik handle the middle chunk after Smith exits.
That’s the cleanest way to do it: Smith first, Klubnik next, Zappe and Cook after that.
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Safety, cornerback, edge rusher, backup running back and backup quarterback all remain in play, and recent performances along with a few injuries have helped clarify the picture even if nothing is settled yet. For a roster still taking shape, these are the kinds of decisions that can ripple beyond the final 53, and the next preseason game may go a long way toward showing which players have the edge. [Read more 🡒]