Jim Cerny
Cade Klubnik quickly became a cult hero with the New York Jets since being selected in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. His swagger, big personality, leadership, and, especially, strong and accurate right arm already made the rookie quarterback a favorite among his Jets teammates, coaches, and fans.
But Klubnik hit a speed bump, albeit a small one, on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old missed practice due to an injury, specifically back tightness. Since it’s only OTAs, this isn’t cause for alarm. But remember, Klubnik once was expected to be a first-round draft pick before a myriad of injuries marred his senior season at Clemson and made his stock drop significantly.
But even for the biggest worry warts in Gang Green nation, this latest issue doesn’t appear to be a big deal.
“The only [player] you won’t see today is Cade. Cade had back tightness, but he’ll be fine,” Jets coach Aaron Glenn reassuringly told reporters. “He’ll be fine going into mini camp.”
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Jets rookie QB Cade Klubnik making strong first impression in OTAs
Above and beyond this not being a serious injury in any way, part of Glenn’s reasoning for not being alarmed about Klubnik missing practice was that the Jets focused specifically on special teams Wednesday. Needless to say, the young QB isn’t a contender for being a gunner or any kid of special teams force this season.
“Since it’s a special teams practice, we thought we’d hold him out for the day,” Glenn explained.
Klubnik missed a walk-through with the offense Wednesday. Any missed practice is not ideal in his quest to land a spot as Geno Smith’s backup this season. But he’s made a really strong impression already during rookie camp and OTAs. Smith is among those singing the kid’s praises.
“I feel like he’s the guy who’s always prepared,” Smith explained early on during OTAs. “He’s been preparing as if he’s going to be the starter; I’ve seen that from him. I think he’s got a bright future.”
Smith added that Klubnik, who threw for more than 10,000 yards in college over four seasons and 49 games with Clemson, “can really spin the ball.”
At the start of OTAs, Glenn stated that Bailey Zappe, the former Patriots and Browns quarterback, was No. 2 on the depth chart behind Smith. However, the Jets coach added that there was plenty of room for competition and a chance for Klubnik or second-year pro Brady Cook to move up the depth chart.
With training camp still a month away, there’s plenty of time for Klubnik to continue impressing the coaches and his teammates. And, hopefully, this minor injury will simply be a blip on their radar.
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