The New York Jets traded up to select Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL draft.
The natural question after he got drafted is when will we see him on the field? Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report predicted that we will see Klubnik make his rookie debut as a starter in Week 15 on the road against the Arizona Cardinals.
“Jets brass has raved about [Geno] Smith, but we’re talking about a 35-year-old who has thrown 32 interceptions the last two seasons combined and is clearly not the long-term solution for this team,” Gagnon wrote.
“So again, this is a situation in which the team will want to have a decent feel for its in-house options before potentially doing something drastic in the upcoming offseason. And a perfect opportunity to get a look at Klubnik might come when they are likely to be eliminated for a matchup with the soft Cardinals in mid-December,” Gagnon added.
A Good Debate
The Jets have four quarterbacks on the 91-man roster:
- Geno Smith
- Bailey Zappe
- Brady Cook
- Cade Klubnik
Smith is the clear-cut QB1. The rest of the room will battle for the QB2 role. Zappe is the most proven of the group, but that isn’t necessarily saying much.
On my morning show, “Boy Green Daily”, a caller asked when Klubnik would make his rookie debut for the Jets in the regular season.
If the Jets brass had their druthers, he wouldn’t see the field in 2026 — at least during the regular season. Head coach Aaron Glenn already predicted that we would see him a ton during the preseason, which makes plenty of sense.
However, during the regular season, the Jets hope Smith can stay healthy, put up some points, and deliver some wins for coach Glenn.
Injuries could always change those plans. Putting that possibility aside, if Smith is a disaster and continues to make bad decisions with turnovers, then the Jets could pull the plug in the middle of the season.
The most logical place would be after the Jets’ Week 13 bye. If the Jets are 4-8 or worse at that point of the season, the team could throw up its hands and say why not.
The Jets have three first-round picks in the 2027 NFL draft. There is a very high likelihood that one of those picks is spent on a quarterback. Before you make that decision, it would make sense to evaluate what you already have on the roster.
Former NFL Scout Talks Klubnik: EXCLUSIVE
Former NFL player and scout, Bucky Brooks, joined me on “Boy Green Daily.”
He was asked about the Jets taking a chance on Klubnik on day three of the 2026 NFL draft.
“Oh, I think it was a worthy dart throw. When you’re drafting players in the fourth round, what you’re doing, in essence, is you’re saying the fourth through seventh rounds are where the developmental players are drafted. What the Jets are saying is look, we think Cade Klubnik has enough redeeming qualities to be a developmental prospect, someone that can develop into either a capable starter or a credible backup in our system,” Brooks told me.
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