Klubnik Cooked? Why Worst-Ranked Backup QB Could Still Be the Answer for Jets

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (QB10) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

The backup QB position has been an ongoing topic of discussion among Jets fans since the arrival of rookie Cade Klubnik. When the Jets took Klubnik in the fourth round in April’s draft, some hoped that the team would sign a veteran QB to be Geno Smith’s backup to allow the rookie to develop in the QB3 slot.

However, the Jets have decided against that plan thus far, letting Klubnik battle it out against the likes of Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook. Last week at OTAs, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn made it known that Zappe was the leader in the clubhouse for the QB2 job, but everyone expects that Klubnik will ultimately win the job.

If that’s the case, how does Klubnik stack up against the other backup QBs in the NFL? Well, according to Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano, Klubnik is the 32nd-best backup in the NFL.

For some Jets fans, that might drive them to press the panic button, considering that guys such as Kyle Allen, Tommy DeVito, Joe Milton, and Quinn Ewers are ranked ahead of him. However, all of those guys have some NFL playing experience, which Klubnik doesn’t.

Even though you could make the case that Klubnik’s upside and talent supersede Allen, DeVito, and Ewers. Milton III has a better arm than Klubnik, but he still hasn’t put it altogether as an NFL quarterback.

Offseason backup QB rankings shouldn’t be the final say-so on Klubnik

That said, all is not lost for Klubnik nor the Jets. Unlike those four quarterbacks, their respective teams need them to come in to spot-start in case of an injury.

In the Jets’ case, they’re developing Klubnik to hopefully be more than a backup QB. In fact, the best-case scenario for New York is that the former Clemson signal-caller evolves into a starting quarterback who could compete for the job next year, depending on what happens with Geno Smith.

The Jets, unlike the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, and Buffalo Bills, whose backup QBs we highlighted, aren’t competing for a playoff spot this year. They’re just hoping to show that they can be better than 3-14 and a competitive football team. And at the same time, they’re developing their young guys to hopefully be the core of this team.

Klubnik could very well be part of that core, especially when you consider that the Jets moved up in the fourth round to select him.

The rookie quarterback has created a lot of buzz with his performance at rookie minicamp and even during the first week of OTAs. It has led Jets fans to believe that the team might be taking the correct approach with Klubnik.

Now, Klubnik took a minor step back in Tuesday’s OTA practice, but that should be expected as he’s a rookie and it isn’t a finished product.

The biggest test for him in the coming months will be how he performs in the preseason against other competition. If Klubnik stands out, then we will look back at these backup QB rankings and wonder how he wasn’t ranked higher.

And at that point, the dreams of what he can be as a starting quarterback will only start to grow as he, not Smith, or a 2027 draft pick could be the long-term answer under center.