Bailey Zappe vs Brady Cook: Which QB do the Jets Cut After Drafting Cade Klubnik

Who will be on the outside looking in?

New York Jets quarterback Brady Cook (4) looks to hand the ball off against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at Caesars Superdome. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The New York Jets opened Round 4 of the 2026 NFL Draft with a bang. Unwilling to sit later in the round, the Jets packaged two fourth-rounders (No. 128, 140) in a trade that saw them acquire the 110th and 199th overall selections from the Cincinnati Bengals, indicating that New York general manager Darren Mougey was cooking something up.

Mougey's plans became clear as the Jets used their new draft pick to snag Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik. Projected to end up with Gang Green in the fifth round of my recent mock draft, New York clearly felt that Klubnik wouldn't be available when it was time for its next pick and didn't hesitate to trade up when the opportunity arose.

The @nyjets select @ClemsonFB QB Cade Klubnik with the 110th pick✈️

2026 NFL Draft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/616v9IAhtO

— NFL (@NFL) April 25, 2026

Klubnik—a former five-star recruit—won't be a threat to Geno Smith's bid as the Jets' starting quarterback, at least, not in Year 1, as the incoming rookie still has some developing to do. At the same time, that doesn't mean that New York's current backup QBs' jobs are safe.

Neither Bailey Zappe nor Brady Cook has done enough to be marked as safe just yet, leaving time to tell which quarterback is most likely to receive the axe by the Jets in favor of Klubnik.

Bailey Zappe, Brady Cook should be on high alert after the Jets draft Cade Klubnik

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Klubnik is one of the better QB prospects in an otherwise underwhelming class for the position this year. Even though the two-time ACC Championship Game MVP's performance wasn't anything to write home about last season, Klubnik still racked up over 10,000 passing yards and 73 touchdowns throughout his four-year run, also putting his footwork on display with 878 rushing yards and 17 scores on 369 carries.

His age (23) means the Jets don't have to rush him onto the field; however, they'll still need a roster spot for him, whether he's the QB2 or QB3. That doesn't exactly bode well for either Zappe or Cook.

Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) looks to pass during the first half of the 2025 Pinstripe Bowl against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Yankee Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Zappe, 26, is a former 2022 fourth-round pick by the New England Patriots, who's also spent time with the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs before signing a futures contract with the Jets in January. Although he's yet to take a snap with New York, Zappe has a decent level of NFL experience, having started nine times in 15 career outings.

With that in mind, Zappe's performance hasn't been special. He's 4-5 with a 62.1% completion rate, throwing for 2,223 passing yards with 12 TDs to 14 interceptions and a 76.0 passer rating. He doesn't offer much regarding mobility, averaging 2.9 yards with one score on 29 carries.

As for Cook, Jets fans know how cooked he looked last season. The former Missouri Tiger went 0-4 in a forgettable rookie campaign, tallying 739 passing yards, two TDs to seven INTs and a 55.4 passer rating in five outings (four starts). It's safe to say that he looked par for the course for an undrafted selection.

So, which QB makes more sense to move on from?

Jets will likely turn the page on Cook

Although Zappe is two years older and is still becoming familiar with head coach Aaron Glenn's staff, it makes more sense to move on from Cook now that Klubnik is in the fold.

It'd be different if the Jets spent draft capital on him last year, but Cook joined the franchise as a UDFA flyer. If he showed some hidden-gem potential, great. If not, it wouldn't take much effort to cut ties and move on to the next arm. Well, the next arm up in question is Klubnik, who likely has a higher ceiling than his second-year counterpart.

New York Jets quarterback Brady Cook (4) gets the ball off for an incomplete pass as he is tackled by New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (33) during the second half of the game at MetLife Stadium. | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

The Jets don't have Super Bowl aspirations next season, but that doesn't change the fact that their backup QB situation is still important. New York's pass-catchers—especially incoming rookies Omar Cooper J. and Kenyon Sadiq—won't improve much if they're dealing with Cook under center, proven by his averaging an underwhelming 147.8 passing yards per game last year.

Zappe isn't amazing, but he at least has four NFL wins under his belt, including three road victories. He's a more secure backup option if Smith gets hurt or regresses, helping keep the Jets somewhat competitive. That won't happen if Cook plays more than he should (which shouldn't be a single snap, period).

Throw in the fact that Cook's entire $1,005,000 cap hit will come off the books with a cut, per Spotrac, and the reasons keep compounding to move on. There isn't a reason to keep him around now that Klubnik is joining Gang Green, as the Jets would likely even feel more comfortable if forced to start the rookie in a pinch rather than Cook.

Whether it happens in the coming weeks or after training camp begins, it's becoming obvious that Cook's time with the Jets is running out.