Jets Clips
Jets quarterback Cade Klubnik’s current coach praised Klubnik’s preseason debut, touting his “moxie” and “confidence.” Klubnik’s former coach has chimed in, too.
“By the time I got to the office, he was out but I texted back and forth with him last night and just proud of him,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said regarding Klubnik’s first NFL game, via Alexander Turri of USA Today. “I mean, like I said, he’s going to be a great pro.”
A fourth-round pick in the 2026 draft, Klubnik will have a chance to become the team’s starter following Geno Smith 2.0.
“He’s gonna play a long time,” Swinney added regarding Klubnik. “He’s a really, really talented quarterback and that’s why he got drafted and they’ve obviously seen that too right out of the gate. So, hopefully he stays healthy. If he does, he’s going to be one of those guys, you look up and he’s played quite a while.”
Klubnik played through two significant injuries in 2025 (wrist and ankle). His performance suffered from it, and the team underachieved. He nevertheless emerged from the down year undeterred by his pro prospects.
“In my mind, I’m a winner,” Klubnik said at the team’s rookie minicamp. “I don’t mean that in a boastful way. I think that’s the mentality you have to have as a quarterback, and I think that my résumé has kind of showed that as well.”
The Jets could use a winner. The quarterback position in recent years has become a revolving door, fueled by a string of high-round quarterbacks whom the Jets shouldn’t have picked (Zach Wilson, Christian Hackenberg) or failed to properly develop (Smith, Sam Darnold).
Klubnik has a chance to develop without the pressure and expectations that come from being a first- or second-round pick. And he has a chance to stabilize a position that, for the Jets, has lacked stability for decades.
While Jets running back Breece Hall exited practice early on Monday, it doesn’t sound like he suffered a significant injury.
Head coach Aaron Glenn told reporters in his press conference that Hall suffered a strained groin.
“I don’t think it was a big deal, but I want to make sure I get the evaluation on that,” Glenn said, via SNY. “The one good thing about our players, they’re honest with their injuries. And if they can go, they can go. But we will try to be precautionary with a lot of those, to make sure that we do the right things.”
Glenn added Hall will undergo imaging tests to ensure the Jets have the right answers on his injury.
Hall played in New York’s first preseason game against Tampa Bay, registering four carries for 16 yards.
One of the Jets’ best offensive players, Hall rushed for 1,065 yards with four touchdowns and had 36 catches for 350 yards with one TD in 2025.
The problem with training camp is that every fan of every team is constantly bracing for the lightning bolt that could screw up the coming season.
It starts with accounts of an injury to a key player. Following by a period of waiting for word as to what the injury is, and how much time the player coul miss.
Jets fans are suddenly on pins and needles about starting running back Breece Hall. Via Rich Cimini of ESPN, Hall left practice on Monday morning after going down “untouched” after catching a pass. Via Brian Costello of the New York Post, Hall left the field with trainers.
Now, we wait for more information about Hall. Jets fans will spend the coming minutes and hours fretting that it could be something significant.
For the Jets, Hall is a key player. He’s the engine of their running game, which will be needed to help open up the passing game. Last year, he managed to gain 1,065 rushing yards despite subpar quarterback play. It was enough to get him tagged and then extended, with a deal that pays out $14.5 million per year in new money.
And so it goes, for every fan of every team, which is taking reps away from live TV and necessarily keeping everyone in the dark about what happened, how it happened, and what it all means.
Geno Smith was a late scratch for the Jets’ preseason opener due to a sore ankle, but there was no concern from the team about an extended absence and Monday brought good news about his condition.
Reporters at training camp share that Smith was on the field and participating in the walkthrough portion of practice on Monday morning. Smith is wearing a sleeve on his lower left leg.
Fourth-round pick Cade Klubnik got the start against Tampa in place of Smith and helped his chances of landing the backup job for the regular season by leading two drives that resulted in 10 points.
The Jets will play their second preseason game against the Steelers on Friday. Head coach Aaron Glenn has not shared the specifics about who will be in the lineup for that game.
Defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat is set to start practicing with the Jets.
Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports that the Jets will activate Sweat from the non-football injury list. Sweat is returning from a hamstring injury that he suffered ahead of training camp.
Per the report, Sweat will be eased back into football work over the course of the week and then be re-evaluated before moving up to a full workload.
The Jets acquired Sweat in a trade for linebacker Jermaine Johnson this offseason and he is expected to fill a starting role up front for the team this season.
Cade Klubnik was not expected to start at quarterback for the Jets in their preseason opener, but Geno Smith’s sore ankle led the team to bump the fourth-round pick up a slot against the Buccaneers.
Klubnik played two drives and went 5-of-7 for 56 yards while leading the Jets to 10 points. After the game, head coach Aaron Glenn said that Klubnik’s comfort running the offense was reminiscent of what the team saw over his 40 starts at Clemson.
“When we watched him in college, he was the same way,” Glenn said, via a transcript from the team. “Nothing changes. He has some moxie to him. He’s very confident. He’s confident in his arm. He’s confident in his ability to elude and make plays with his feet. And his ability to be able to come out and operate with the first group the way he did, to me, I thought was outstanding. Still some things that he has to learn, still mistakes that he made in the game, but listen, he’s going to be quick to correct those, just like the other players are. We’re going to continue to move forward.”
Glenn said “today was really a thumbs up” for Klubnik while adding that it was a preseason game. Glenn didn’t mention that the Bucs didn’t have starters on the field, which is more reason not to go too overboard about the performance even while feeling good about how the rookie handled his first opportunity against an opposing team.
The Jets made a late change at quarterback on Friday and rookie Cade Klubnik got the start against the Buccaneers as a result.
Klubnik opened his first NFL appearance with a short pass to tight end Mason Taylor that turned into a 12-yard gain. The pair hooked up again for seven yards and Klubnik then found wideout Garrett Wilson twice for 32 yards. Wilson made an impressive leaping grab in traffic for a 21-yard gain on the first completion.
The Jets settled for a field goal on that drive and Klubnik let running back Braelon Allen do the heavy lifting on the next drive. Allen ran for a 31-yard touchdown on Klubnik’s final play of the night.
Klubnik finished 5-of-7 for 56 yards.
Geno Smith was expected to start the game, but the Jets scratched him just before kickoff with what head coach Aaron Glenn called ankle soreness on the CBS broadcast. Glenn said the team does not believe it is a serious issue.
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said this week that the team’s starters would play against the Buccaneers on Friday night, but there’s one significant change to that plan.
Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports that quarterback Geno Smith has been scratched due to foot soreness. Per the report, the Jets are not concerned about the injury and Smith would be playing if this were a regular season contest.
With Smith out of the lineup, fourth-round pick Cade Klubnik will get an extended run in his first NFL game action. The Jets listed Klubnik as the No. 2 quarterback on their initial depth chart and he will now get the start against Tampa.
Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe are the other Jets quarterbacks.
The Buccaneers have scrapped their plan to have Jake Browning start at quarterback against the Jets on Friday night.
Browning injured his back in a joint practice at the Jets’ facility on Wednesday and Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports that he will not play in the preseason opener as a result. The Bucs said earlier in the week that Baker Mayfield will not take part in the game.
Connor Bazelak and undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels will be the quarterback for the Bucs on Friday.
Browning signed with Tampa in March and is expected to be the No. 2 quarterback behind Mayfield as long as he’s healthy.
The Jets took a flier on Cade Klubnik in the fourth round as a possible long-term option at quarterback. For now, the former Clemson star is competing for the backup job with Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook behind starter Geno Smith.
Smith and the rest of the starters will play in Friday night’s preseason opener against the Bucs, but Klubnik is sure to see more snaps than Smith.
Klubnik started 40 games in four seasons at Clemson, so the lights aren’t likely to be too bright or the stage too big.
“When the fire’s blazing, you have a little bit of a presence, kind of like I’ve been here before,” Klubnik said this week, via Dennis Waszak Jr. of the Associated Press. “And obviously, the speed is different, all of that. But it’s still football. And being able to just have a lot of games under my belt has definitely helped. But it is a new level and everything’s faster, everything’s quicker. You’ve got to think faster pre-snap, post-snap. And that’s a transition, for sure.
“But I think that it definitely has helped me. I think just maybe I’ll step on the field and go play quarterback.”
It’s the college experience that has him confident as he steps on an NFL field for the first time. He also knows he has “a long way to go” before he’s ready to start a regular-season game.
“I think for me, you have to be confident stepping on the field,” Klubnik said. “And where the line is, I would also say that you have to be aware of where you’re at and humble enough to realize that I’m not where I want to be yet and I need to go get better.
“And I think that if you’re cocky, you’re realizing, ‘I’ve arrived.’ You are everything you’re going to be. But I’m not where I want to be at, you know?”
