The New York Jets entered training camp with a clear hierarchy under center, at least at the top. Geno Smith sits firmly as the starter after the team brought him in to stabilize the position.
Behind him, however, the backup job remains unsettled, and fourth-round rookie Cade Klubnik has emerged as the leading candidate to claim it.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini recently noted that the role is Klubnik’s to lose, a reflection of the progress the young quarterback has shown in practices. That assessment has not gone unchallenged.
On ESPN New York, Jake Asman offered a pointed caution about relying too heavily on the rookie so early in his career.
“I like Cade Klubnik, why not give him a chance, but I think at some point, if you’re the Jets, if you’re Aaron Glenn trying to save your job, wouldn’t you want Andy Dalton as the backup? It’ll cost you a seventh-round pick to get him from the Eagles,” Asman said. “Klubnik can eventually be QB2. If the Jets fall out of it, you play him down the stretch over Geno or Dalton.
“Look, Geno has been very durable in his career, there’s no doubt about it. Even last year, the Raiders were a mess, and he still played in 15 of 17 games with an awful O-Line, where Geno got hit on 40% of his dropbacks, but, and this is a big but, if you’re the Jets, if you’re Aaron Glenn, and God forbid something happens to Geno Smith early on in the season is Cade Klubnik as a fourth round rookie going to come in and save your job?”
Asman closed the thought with a reminder of the franchise’s uneven history at the position.
“Maybe he’s Russell Wilson, or Kirk Cousins, or Dak Prescott, or maybe he’s James Morgan, Bryce Petty, or Christian Hackenberg, or any of the other stiffs the Jets have drafted in their history,” Asman added. “I’d be a little worried about that.”
Those comments highlight a practical tension. Smith has proven durable across his career, yet the backup remains one injury away from significant responsibility. Entrusting that responsibility to a rookie drafted in the fourth round requires genuine confidence from the coaching staff and front office.
Some voices around the league, including Clemson’s longtime radio voice Don Munson, have suggested Klubnik would benefit from more developmental time before regular-season exposure. Others who have watched him closely in camp have walked away more optimistic about his readiness.
The Jets do not need to decide immediately. Their first preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers arrives on August 14, and joint practices earlier in the week will provide additional evaluation opportunities. Klubnik is expected to see substantial snaps in the exhibition slate.
Those performances will either reinforce the belief that he can handle the backup role or reveal that the team needs to explore other options before the roster is finalized.
Veteran alternatives remain limited in free agency at this stage, but the landscape often shifts closer to cut-down day. Trade possibilities, including the kind of low-cost deal Asman referenced for a seasoned presence like Andy Dalton, or opportunistic claims of released players, could still materialize.
Glenn and the decision-makers will weigh the risk of an unproven rookie against the value of a steady veteran hand if Smith were sidelined.
For now, Klubnik continues to compete. His ability to seize the second-string job would signal internal belief in his trajectory. Should he fall short of that standard, the Jets retain flexibility to adjust before the season begins. The coming weeks of practice and preseason games will clarify which path they ultimately choose.
