Jets Remain Pleased With Cade Klubnik Despite OTA Injury

The rookie QB's injury hasn't impacted New York's faith in his potential.

Although Cade Klubnik's offseason workouts were interrupted by injury, the Jets are still hopeful for his outlook. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

When the Jets drafted Cade Klubnik in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, expectations were clear from the very beginning. The team was not expected to make him a savior of the franchise.

The Jets wanted to see if they could develop the 23-year-old into a quality backup arm. Should they ever need Klubnik to start, they wanted to make sure they drafted a player who wouldn't be overwhelmed on an NFL field.

Through offseason workouts, Klubnik looked like that kind of player. He wasn't always perfect, but he went through his progressions efficiently and never looked like the moment was too much for him at any point.

A glimpse of rookie QB Cade Klubnik. #Jets pic.twitter.com/6mRv74bsm1

— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) May 8, 2026

A back injury cost him the last few weeks of workouts. As the Jets turn their sights to training camp (after a month-long break), questions about Klubnik's effectiveness will only continue, especially as he prepares to put pads on for the first time at the pro level.

Despite the brief offseason interruption, it doesn't sound like the Jets' faith in the rookie QB has wavered.

Jets remain pleased with Cade Klubnik

Klubnik was always something of an "apple to the eye" of offensive coordinator Frank Reich and quarterback coach Bill Musgrave. They scouted the Clemson prospect significantly and enjoyed what they saw as a leader and thrower.

Even with his back injury, the Jets offensive staff is still pleased with everything they've seen.

"He's coming in every single day; he's ready to rock and roll," Musgrave said. "His Pro Day, he might've ran 4.57, so he can move. ... He's got a lot of athletic skills, and we'll try to harness them and have him get good at this football thing at the pro level."

Clemson senior QB Cade Klubnik ends his pro day throwing session with these two scripted broken play throws and completes both of them pic.twitter.com/PBpgvWBprX

— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) March 12, 2026

Klubnik had a successful collegiate career. He went 26-14 as a starter while throwing for over 10,000 yards and completing 64 percent of his passes through four years on the job with the Tigers. At one point, Klubnik was a potential first-round pick; however, an uneven final year at Clemson saw his stock fall to the fourth round.

What made him so impressive in the ACC, though, was his composure. The moment was never too big for him, and that made him a commodity for teams looking for quality backup quarterbacks.

In the Jets' mindset, though, they aren't simply going to give the job to him. Klubnik will need to continue to prove his worth once training camp kicks off.

"(He) was doing a really good job until he was out with a back," Glenn said. " I would
never sit here at this time of the year and say, ok, this guy's going to be our backup quarterback. Guys, we have training camp to go through, and I think I've said that before, those guys are going to compete and see who actually comes out of that fight."

Klubnik will be competing against the likes of veteran signal-caller Bailey Zappe and former undrafted free agent Brady Cook. As things stand, he has as good a chance as any to earn the starting backup job. He looked as good as any of the veterans already on the team outside of starter Geno Smith.

And so long as he's healthy, Klubnik appears to be ready for a chance to show the Jets were always right in drafting him.