Jets' rookie QB Cade Klubnik facing possible setback with practice injury

The New York Jets are still working through OTAs, but it appears rookie quarterback Cade Klubnik is going to be missing a day of practice.

At his Wednesday morning press conference, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn revealed that Klubnik would be sitting out with back tightness out of an abundance of caution.

"Rookie QB Cade Klubnik has some back tightness and won't practice today, per Glenn," wrote ESPN's Rich Cimini in a post on X. "It'll be a heavy special teams practice anyway. Klubnik is expected back for next week's minicamp."

It's a positive sign that Klubnik will be back by next week, but in the current competition he's in, any reps he can get are invaluable.

Will Cade Klubnik's injury hurt his chances at the Jets' backup quarterback job?

Of course, as Glenn said, it's only one missed OTA practice. It's not like Klubnik is going to be missing an extended period of time or even a major day for the offense. Special teams seem to be getting the focus, at least for today.

But in the current race Klubnik is in, the competition for the Jets' backup quarterback, any lost time is negative for his chances.

As things currently stand, Geno Smith is the Jets' starting quarterback, but QB2 is anyone's guess this early in the summer.

Klubnik, journeyman veteran Bailey Zappe, and 2025 undrafted free agent Brady Cook are the three scrapping for the gig, and each one needs the practice reps.

The most recent update from Glenn was that Zappe was the one getting the most action with the second-team, meaning he's likely the early favorite for the backup job.

Klubnik has an uphill climb ahead of him, considering he's a fourth-round rookie and has no NFL experience. But at minimum, he's got a pretty good shot of beating out Cook.

In four starts last year, Cook completed 57.5% of his passes for 739 yards, two touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He was working with a bare-bones supporting cast, but his individual play left a lot to be desired.

It remains to be seen if the Jets end up adding a more experienced backup quarterback at some point this summer (it was well documented they were at least somewhat interested in adding Russell Wilson), but for now, the three youngsters will continue to show out for the coaching staff.

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