QB · NYJ · 27 yrs · exp 4 · Western Kentucky
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The Jets have two quarterbacks on their roster, Geno Smith and Cade Klunbik. At the moment the number three quarterback is practice squader Bailey Zappe. The team is evidently still considering options, however. Two quarterbacks came to the team facility to work out, including one with a moderately big name. Levis was a a second […]
The Jets are looking at adding another quarterback to their broader roster. According to Zack Rosenblatt of TheAthletic.com, New York worked out Will Levis and Jack Plummer for a spot on the practice squad on Thursday. Levis, a second-round pick in 2023, was waived by the Titans as part of their roster cuts over the weekend and went unclaimed. While he missed the 2025 season due to injury, he started 21 games for Tennessee from 2023-2024, completing 61.0 percent of his passes for 3,899 yards with 21 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Plummer is the UFL’s reigning MVP, having won it for his season with the Orlando Storm. He led the UFL with 2,188 passing yards while tossing 17 touchdowns with just one interception in 10 games. He previously spent time with the Panthers and worked out for the 49ers and Dolphins this summer. New York currently has just rookie Cade Klubnik on its 53-man roster at quarterback behind starter Geno Smith. Veteran Bailey Zappe is on the team’s practice squad
The Jets put two of their draft picks on injured reserve while setting their initial 53-man roster on Sunday. Sixth-round guard Anez Cooper and seventh-round safety VJ Payne both landed on the list. The Jets designated both players for return and they will be eligible to come back after the first four games of the regular season. Linebacker Tyler Baron will stay on the physically unable to perform list and is also ruled out for the first four games of the year. Cornerback Tre Brown, running back Chip Trayanum, and linebacker Mykal Walker went on injured reserve without the possibility of returning during the season. The Jets also waived or released DB Mory Bamba, WR Junior Bergen, WR Cam Camper, S Dean Clark, DB Jordan Clark, QB Brady Cook, LB Anthony Dunn, LB Paschal Ekeji, OL Courtland Ford, G Liam Fornadel, DB Keenan Garber, G Marquis Hayes, DT Jack Heflin, OL Xavier Hill, LB Jaden Keller, LB Nate Lynn, WR Malik McClain, S Jarius Monroe, DL Payton Page, WR Jamaal Pritchett, WR Quincy Skinner, DL Mazi Smith, DL Junior Tafuna, S Tanner Wall, LB Chase Wilson, OL Xavier Newman-Johnson, CB Samuel Womack, OL Landon Young, QB Bailey Zappe, TE Chase Curtis, TE Connor Hulstein, and RB Dominic Richardson
The New York Jets have begun their roster cutdowns early, releasing quarterback Bailey Zappe. Teams must finalize their 53-player rosters by 6:00 pm Eastern time, though final announcements often occur after the deadline
If such a competition ever really existed
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
Who caught our eye, for better or worse, in the Patriots’ preseason opener
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?”
With the Raiders last year, Geno Smith led the NFL with 17 interceptions. He’s on a new team this year, but the betting odds suggest the same result. Now with the Jets, Smith is the betting favorite to be the NFL leader in interceptions again. His odds to lead the league in picks are +950 at DraftKings. There are a lot of reasons to think Smith will throw a lot of interceptions. The obvious one is his own history, as the reigning league leader in picks. Another is that the Jets are expected to be a bad team this year, which means Smith will often be throwing the ball in desperation mode in the fourth quarter. And if Smith struggles, the Jets don’t have a great option to bench him for: The other quarterbacks on the roster are Bailey Zappe, Brady Cook, and rookie fourth-round pick Cade Klubnik. The Jets might want to get a look at Klubnik at some point this season, but it would probably be late in the year if it happens at all. Next in the betting odds to lead the league in interceptions is 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy at +1000, followed by Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence at +1100
The rookie quarterback is battling journeyman Bailey Zappe to be Geno Smith’s backup
New York Jets quarterback Cade Klubnik (back) was back on the practice field for the first day of training camp practice on Wednesday. Klubnik missed time during OTAs due to a lingering back tightness issue. He has now been cleared and resumed practicing on Wednesday. The fourth-round rookie is expected to compete with Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe for the No. 2 quarterback job behind Geno Smith. There is some developmental upside here with the Jets not being committed to 35-year-old Smith in the long-term. Klubnik is an interesting dynasty stash option for fantasy managers willing to play the waiting game
The New York Jets spent a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnick, and ESPN's Jets reporter Rich Cimini believes he will earn the primary backup job as a rookie. In a pre-training camp 53-man roster projection, Cimini sees New York keeping only two quarterbacks to start the year, with Klubnik edging out Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe for the remaining spot behind 13th-year veteran Geno Smith. Smith is coming off a forgettable 2025 season with the Las Vegas Raiders, and should his struggles follow him to the Jets, the opportunity could arise for New York's backup to see meaningful action by the end of the season. Klubnik is RotoBaller's dynasty QB46, but any playing time as a rookie would almost certainly improve his stock, making him an intriguing target in the later rounds of dynasty startups
The article discusses potential roster moves for the New York Jets, focusing on the quarterback position and the uncertainty surrounding Bailey Zappe and Cade Klubnik. It also mentions Jeremy Ruckert and speculates about Brady Cook's chances of making the roster, questioning the narrative that he is a lock. Other topics include Geno Smith's starting role, new helmets, former player Bart Scott's departure from ESPN, and the team's needs for the upcoming draft
The New York Jets' improved defense is expected to benefit defensive tackle Jowon Briggs, according to reports. Other Jets news includes updates on rookie QB Klubnik, the QB2 battle, and various player assessments
Cade Klubnik showed promise during offseason workouts and is in contention for the Jets' backup QB role. Despite missing time with back tightness, coaches have praised his mechanics, leadership, and potential for future playing time. He will compete with Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook, and is a developmental stash for dynasty leagues
Heading into the 2026 season, the Jets have made a series of moves to improve the state of their roster and overall depth, but are they ready to compete for a playoff spot? In this series, we’ll break down the depth chart for every position group. This time, we’ll go in depth at the quarterback position… Starter: Geno Smith Backups: Bailey Zappe , Cade Klubnik , Brady Cook Key additions/losses: Smith was acquired via trade from the Las Vegas Raiders , while previous starter Justin Fields headed to Kansas City in another trade and Tyrod Taylor departed in free agency. Klubnik was drafted in the fourth round, and Zappe was acquired on a futures deal at the end of last season. Top Performers in 2025: Fields made nine starts, winning two. He completed 63 percent of his passes for 1,259 yards and seven touchdowns with just one interception. He also rushed for 383 yards and four touchdowns. 2025 ranking per PFF: Smith was 37th out of 45 qualifiers last year, five places below Fields. Cook was dead last. Smith’s improbable return to the Jets sees him viewed very differently than he was when he left the Jets at the end of his rookie deal 10 years ago. He has matured a lot since then, leading the Seattle Seahawks to the postseason and earning two Pro Bowl invitations, the most recent of which was just three years ago. The Jets remain confident that the 35-year-old still has plenty left in the tank. They will be hoping to see the best version of him as he spearheads offensive coordinator Frank Reich ’s offense, which boasts stability on the offensive line and a retooled group of pass catchers. Head coach Aaron Glenn was probably being over-optimistic when he said that he believes Smith “can take the Jets to the promised land”. However, he refused to rule out Smith returning in 2027 if he plays well in 2026, despite the fact the Jets are widely expected to use a high draft pick on their quarterback of the future next April with Smith on a one-year deal. Behind Smith, the backup options are lacking in experience, and it would be a concern if New York entered the year being one Smith injury away from one of the current reserves being forced into significant playing time. Zappe is the most experienced option, with nine career starts, four of which his team won. However, he failed to crack a weak Cleveland Browns rotation last season and was without a team at the end of the year so he’s not exactly a sought-after talent. Klubnik is a former five-star high school recruit who many expected to play better in college and end up as a possible first-round pick. However, when the Jets took him in the fourth round, this was considerably earlier than most analysts expected based on his inconsistent collegiate career at Clemson. The Jets seem to like him a lot and obviously hope they can unlock some of his unrealized potential, but it would be a major gamble to assume he could be ready to play at the NFL level as a rookie. The other quarterback on the roster is Cook, who started the last four games in 2025 as an undrafted rookie. He looked out of his depth in those games and already seems to have already fallen behind Zappe and Klubnik in the pecking order. Ultimately, how Smith performs could make or break the Jets’ season. If he can play with the same level of efficiency as he did during his best years in Seattle, the Jets’ offense will be significantly improved, and the team should be competitive. Can we rely on that, though? Smith was poor with the Raiders last season as he led the league in interceptions and struggled to elevate a poor supporting cast. He was also the most-sacked quarterback in the league last year, which shouldn’t repeat with the Jets projected to have a solid offensive line. Perhaps with better protection, Smith can rediscover the fountain of youth. It would probably be smart for the Jets to figure out some way to get someone more established on the team as a more viable number two option. If they don’t, it look [... truncated ...]
Drops: Bailey Zappe
Adds: Bailey Zappe
The Jets went into Organized Team Activities wanting to see what rookie quarterback Cade Klubnik could do . They’re still waiting. Klubnik, a fourth-round pick out of Clemson, has been out of practice with back soreness. Jets coach Aaron Glenn confirmed that Klubnik was still not practicing on Tuesday, although he indicated Klubnik could be back on the practice field soon. At the moment, the Jets’ plan is for Bailey Zappe to serve as the No. 2 quarterback behind starter Geno Smith. Klubnik could earn the No. 2 job, but missing time now could put him behind in training camp. A year ago, Klubnik was viewed as a future first-round draft pick, but he had a disappointing final college season, and his draft stock slid. The Jets think he has plenty of upside. But they need to see it on the field. The other quarterback on the Jets’ roster is Brady Cook, who made the team as an undrafted rookie last year and ended up starting four games, all of which the Jets lost as Cook threw two touchdown passes and seven interceptions
The Jets went into Organized Team Activities wanting to see what rookie quarterback Cade Klubnik could do . They're still waiting. Klubnik, a fourth-round pick out of Clemson, has been out of practice with back soreness. Jets coach Aaron Glenn confirmed that Klubnik was still not practicing on Tuesday, although he indicated Klubnik could be back on the practice field soon. At the moment, the Jets' plan is for Bailey Zappe to serve as the No. 2 quarterback behind starter Geno Smith . Klubnik could earn the No. 2 job, but missing time now could put him behind in training camp. A year ago, Klubnik was viewed as a future first-round draft pick, but he had a disappointing final college season, and his draft stock slid. The Jets think he has plenty of upside. But they need to see it on the field. The other quarterback on the Jets' roster is Brady Cook , who made the team as an undrafted rookie last year and ended up starting four games, all of which the Jets lost as Cook threw two touchdown passes and seven interceptions
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