Cade Klubnik’s offseason just picked up a new title. The Jets rookie quarterback married longtime girlfriend Macey Madeline Matthews over the weekend, adding “husband” to a life that already has him in the middle of a quarterback fight in New York.
The couple’s story goes back to Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, where they first met. They got engaged late last December, and on Wednesday they were back on Instagram Stories with a photo of the two embracing.
“Thank you Jesus (white heart emoji)”
While the personal milestone was the headline away from football, Klubnik’s on-field reality is still very much in motion. He’s battling Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook for the job of backing up Geno Smith, who came to the Jets in an offseason trade from the Las Vegas Raiders.
That backup competition has not kept Klubnik from getting a little buzz. Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano recently sized up Klubnik and other Day 3 quarterbacks from the 2026 draft, looking at who could end up being the next Brock Purdy-type rise from longshot to centerpiece. Among the six players he examined, Vacchiano gave Klubnik the best shot.
“With a good summer, Klubnik could beat out Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook for the No. 2 job. And it’s not inconceivable the Jets could turn to Klubnik late in the season. It would be worth it to see what they have before diving headfirst into the QB-rich 2027 draft.”
Still, the path isn’t clean. Vacchiano pointed out that the Jets’ offensive line is a strength, noting that they were the only team to start the same group in every game of the 2025 season. But the help around the quarterback is thinner, with Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson standing as the only players on the roster to have produced a 1,000-scrimmage-yard season.
That’s why, in Vacchiano’s view, Klubnik will need to “show a lot” if the Jets are going to pass on the likes of Arch Manning and Dante Moore in next year’s draft.
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