Should the New York Jets sign a veteran backup QB?

The New York Jets made a surprising selection during the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft when they traded up to select Clemson QB Cade Klubnik.

>Most draft analysts didn’t have him with a fourth-round grade, but the Jets chose to be aggressive to avoid another team potentially selecting Klubnik as they view him as an integral part of the team’s future.

>Klubnik's stats over his final two seasons at Clemson was polarizing to say the least.

> Last year, he threw for just under 3,000 yards and only 16 touchdowns to go along with six interceptions. He did add four touchdowns on the ground, but his stats are a bit misleading.

>Not exactly impressive stats to warrant a trade up to select him, especially when the Jets had plenty of areas on the roster that needed to be fixed. Klubnik did deal with injuries for most of last season as well as a weaker team in regards to talent compared to his 2024 season at Clemson.

>It’s fair to say the Jets are hoping they get the Klubnik that threw for 3,639 yards, 36 touchdowns and added seven rushing touchdowns as well in 2024.

>Had he entered the 2025 NFL Draft, many analysts had him graded out as a potential first-round pick. But, he opted to stay at Clemson for another season and his draft status suffered. The Jets fell in love with him during the pre-draft process and barring any additions to the quarterback room, Klubnik is currently QB2 on the team’s depth chart.

>But is this the right move for a team that desperately needs to show major improvement and for a head coach that desperately needs to keep his job?  Geno Smith will be the Jets' starting quarterback when they open the season against the Tennessee Titans.

>What happens if Smith gets injured early in the season? This was exactly the situation that burned the organization at the beginning of the 2023 season when QB Aaron Rodgers tore his achilles tendon four plays into opening night against the Buffalo Bills.

>The Jets didn't add a veteran to back up Rodgers and were forced to play Zach Wilson, who was coming off a brutal 2022 season and not nearly ready to be a leader for the team.

>It’s unknown if the Jets plan to add a veteran quarterback and could wait until the preseason once final roster cuts are made.  But, Klubnik has the advantage for a few reasons.  First, he was selected in the fourth-round and on top of that, the Jets traded two of their three picks in that round to select him. You don’t waste an early Day 3 pick on a quarterback if you don’t think he has potential to be the eventual starter.

>Second, the current depth chart for the Jets is currently not threatening to Klubnik’s position.

>Jets fans saw enough of QB Brady Cook last year to know he isn’t the answer.  And while they did sign Bailey Zappe, who is technically a veteran, he’s bounced around from practice squads in Cleveland as well as Kansas City and hasn’t started a game since January 2, 2025, while with the Browns.

>It’s fine for the Jets to be excited about Klubnik’s ability.  He’s a dual-threat quarterback who can hurt teams through the air and on the ground.  He has the size that Frank Reich loves in his quarterbacks, standing 6’2 and weighing 210 lbs.  He comes off very likeable during OTA’s and has a great attitude.  The Jets beat writers have definitely started the hype train around Klubnik, talking him up as a potential steal of the draft and his impressive performance during team workouts, even though those don’t carry much weight this early in the offseason.

>But, it wouldn’t be fair to throw Klubnik out to the wolves should something happen to Smith that forces him to miss time.  That's exactly what happened to Smith during his first run in New York when he was drafted in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

>Rex Ryan inexplicably left his starting quarterback, Mark Sanchez, in to play the fourth quarter of a meaningless preseason game against the New York Giants.  Sanchez played behind a fourth-string offensive line, hurt his shoulder being taken down on a sack and was lost for the season.  Smith was the backup after the Jets did not bring in a veteran and while he had his moments, it was clear that Geno was not ready to be a starter and it hurt his overall development with the team.

>The best move the Jets can make for Klubnik is to bring in another veteran to back up Smith.  This is a Jets team coming off a solid offseason both in free agency and the draft.  They added playmakers on both sides of the ball and locked up a key piece to their offense, Breece Hall, on a new three-year contract.  It would be a massive amount of pressure for a rookie quarterback to be thrown into the fire on a season where there is plenty at stake for the head coach.  If Klubnik fails, it could really damage his confidence, and he may not recover to play a role in the team’s future.

>The free agent quarterbacks left are nothing special.  Russell Wilson recently joined the crew at CBS Sports' The NFL Today and while he hasn't officially retired, he's not considered a serious option. Cooper Rush is probably the best option at this moment, which isn't saying much. The trade market might be a better option and the cost will probably be a late draft pick as teams try to finalize their rosters.  Among the names the Jets have been linked to include Tennessee’s Will Levis, Philadelphia’s Tanner McKee and, most recently, Pittsburgh’s Mason Rudolph.

>Aaron Glenn can ill afford to take any unnecessary risks with a key position on the team.   While Geno Smith is an improvement over last year’s starter, Justin Fields, he’ll be 36 years old in October, and anything can happen at any given moment when the games are played on Sunday.   It’s important that he brings in a veteran as Geno’s backup and allows Klubnik to sit and learn as a rookie.

>In a season where the Jets and Glenn have literally zero margin for error, it’s important to have a backup plan that has the experience to navigate tough waters and lead the team when the starter goes down.  While Cade Klubnik could be an exciting player to watch down the road, he's an unknown commodity.

>The best decision for Klubnik is to bring him along slowly and let him learn from the sidelines before taking another step in his development in 2027.

>This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Should Jets sign vet to replace Cade Klubnik, Bailey Zappe at backup QB?