New York Jets head coach impressed by rookie quarterback in practice
New York Jets head coach impressed by rookie quarterback in practice
Charlie WilsonFri, July 31, 2026 at 10:09 AM UTC
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Aaron Glenn has been impressed with Cade Klubnik -Credit:Adam Hunger/Getty Images
New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn could not help but be impressed with rookie quarterback Cade Klubnik in the opening days of training camp.
The Jets spent a fourth-round pick on the former Clemson starter, bringing him in as competition for the backup role behind Geno Smith. However, should Smith struggle, then Klubnik could put himself in a position to see the field, with the Jets seemingly all-in on drafting a quarterback in the loaded 2027 class.
A former five-star recruit, Klubnik replaced Trevor Lawrence at Clemson while throwing 73 touchdowns to 24 interceptions. The school had limited playoff success, with Klubnik not quite reaching the heights some had hoped for. However, his resume was enough to get the Jets to spend a fourth-round pick on him, and he has impressed Glenn so far.
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Klubnik was 6-for-7 in team drills before going 3-for-4 in 7-on-7 pass skelly against linebackers and defensive backs.
Glenn said of his performance: "He made some throws today, didn’t he?
"We know the hills that he’s had in his college career. We're intrigued by him because he was able to bounce back and continue to go. To me, that shows leadership, too. When things went down, he kept going."
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Klubnik appeared to impress more so than Geno Smith on day two of training camp -Credit:Adam Hunger/Getty Images
The Jets brought back the aforementioned Smith this year, with the general consensus thinking being that they are almost certain to select a quarterback in next year's class.
The front office has three first-round picks next year, in what looks to be the most loaded quarterback class in years.
If Smith struggles, the Jets may look to see what they have in Klubnik, who will need to prove himself just to make the roster, alongside Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook.
Either way, the Jets have made their identity clear on offense heading into the year, hoping to help the quarterback out by being a run-first team.
New offensive coordinator Frank Reich said: "Everything will be done to accentuate what the players do best. Obviously, that starts up front.
"Listen, it's certainly going to be no secret or surprise to say that we're going to want to run the football, and so we'll continue to emphasize that. These guys ran the ball pretty well last year, so we'll build on that.
"But you also have to find ways to be dynamic in the passing game and be excellent in situational football, and the way to do that is to create problems that the defenses can't solve."
Klubnik will get his chances in preseason, with the Jets likely to have him battle it out with Cook and Zappe for the backup spot.
Source: “AOL Sports”
