3 winners (and 3 losers) for Jets in preseason Week 1 loss to Buccaneers

The New York Jets kicked off their preseason Friday night with a 24-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but it wasn't as bad as it sounds.

New York's first-team offense and defense looked good in their limited reps, even with veteran quarterback Geno Smith sitting out the game with a sore foot. Rookie Cade Klubnik was given an opportunity to shine, and he ran with it.

What other Jets took advantage of their opportunities, and which ones squandered them under the bright lights of MetLife Stadium?

Winners & losers from the New York Jets preseason opener

Winner: Cade Klubnik, QB

Klubnik was thrust into the starting lineup with just over an hour before kickoff on Friday night after it was revealed that Geno Smith would be inactive for the preseason opener against the Buccaneers. Instead of wilting under the pressure, the rookie quarterback stepped up to the moment.

He didn't stuff the stat sheet the same way Steelers rookie quarterback Drew Allar did on Thursday night, but he commanded the offense well and was under center for New York's first two scoring drives. Klubnik finished the night completing 5 of 7 pass attempts for 56 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions.

Surely, Jets fans would've liked to have seen him for a little bit longer, but he's at least quieted some doubters about his capabilities as the backup quarterback.

Quieted, not silenced.

Loser: Omar Cooper Jr., WR

One of the more interesting developments of the night, particularly when the starters first took the field, was seeing 2025 team MVP Isaiah Williams take the field alongside Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell as the starting wide receivers.

Williams is a great story and has been an obvious favorite of the Jets coaching staff this summer, but it's bad news for first-round draft pick Omar Cooper Jr. He was relegated to the second team and stayed in the game late in the second quarter.

He made good use of his time on the field, hauling two passes for 31 yards, but it's clear he has some work to do before he can supplant Williams on the depth chart.

Winner: David Bailey, DE

No. 2 overall pick David Bailey was a dominant force all week throughout joint practice with Tampa Bay, tormenting the likes of Luke Goedeke and Benjamin Chukwuma. He unfortunately didn't get as much time to shine Friday night, but was still a force the Bucs had to reckon with.

Bailey was only on the field for eight total snaps, but on two of those reps, Tampa Bay chipped and double-teamed the 22-year-old pass rusher. They clearly had him on their minds after facing him back-to-back days earlier in the week.

Even as a rookie, teams are forced to show respect to Bailey.

Loser: Bailey Zappe, QB

After the Jets pulled Klubnik from the preseason tilt early in the second quarter, New York inserted their other veteran quarterback, Bailey Zappe, into the mix. The journeyman did not seem ready for the moment compared to his rookie teammate.

Zappe struggled mightily against Tampa Bay backups, completing 6 of 10 pass attempts for 55 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions. In fairness, the second interception could be blamed on second-year wide receiver Arian Smith. Zappe hit him in the hands, but Smith let it slide right by and into the hands of a Buccaneers defender.

Regardless, this was his chance to overshadow Klubnik and take hold of the backup job behind Geno Smith, and he couldn't do it.

Winner: Mory Bamba, CB

The Jets may have found the best cornerback in the league in undrafted free agent cornerback Mory Bamba.

Okay, maybe not, but that doesn't take away the fact that Bamba had an opportunity to make his mark tonight and ran with it. With both Nahshon Wright and Qwan'tez Stiggers inactive due to injuries, Bamba stepped in and played practically the whole game (except for when he was removed from the game for a concussion check)

It's always an uphill climb for undrafted free agents to make the final 53-man roster, but Bamba took a major step in the right direction Friday night and put himself on the map among Jets fans.

Loser: Malachi Moore, S

When the Jets' starting defense took the field for the first time, the safety spots were manned by Minkah Fitzpatrick (of course) and veteran Andre Cisco. After the starters came out, Cisco remained on the field with free-agent signing Dane Belton, the two main competitors for the starting job opposite Fitzpatrick.

2025 fourth-round pick Malachi Moore wouldn't see the field until the third- and fourth-stringers were called upon, and that's not a good sign. A player who played all 17 games for the Jets last year can't seem to get on the field, and it's just another blemish on Darren Mougey's 2025 draft class.

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