Just because Cade Klubnik is the Jets' backup quarterback doesn't mean he earned it

Cade Klubnik is the backup quarterback for the New York Jets, and that's a notion that shouldn't particularly excite fans. Injuries play a role in every NFL season, and we're just one Geno Smith injury away from Klubnik being thrust into the starting lineup.

If Klubnik had looked better in preseason action this summer, the stress levels wouldn't be so high. Instead of inspiring confidence with his play, the former Clemson standout struggled across three appearances, completing 21-of-34 pass attempts for 190 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception. He finished the preseason with a quarterback rating of 64.6.

Despite this, the Jets opted to keep only two quarterbacks on their 53-man active roster, bringing only Bailey Zappe back on the practice squad. New York has been urged to add an experienced backup quarterback all offseason long, yet it seems they're planning on staying the course with the regular season just over a week away.

Some Jets reporters have tried to defend the team's decision to keep Klubnik as the backup quarterback despite his inexperience, like ESPN's Rich Cimini. But the logic he uses to defend the decision falls apart when you examine it closely enough.

Did Cade Klubnik really win the New York Jets' backup quarterback job?

On a recent episode of the Jets Collective podcast, Cimini pointed out that Klubnik was one of three rookie quarterbacks this offseason to "win" his team's backup quarterback job, among the likes of Las Vegas Raiders No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza and Tampa Bay Buccaneers undrafted free agent Jalon Daniels.

"There are 13 rookie quarterbacks on 53-man rosters around the NFL. Out of those 13 rookies, only three are No. 2. Obviously, Fernando Mendoza in Las Vegas, Jalon Daniels, which is interesting, a rookie undrafted guy in Tampa Bay, and Cade Klubnik. Those are the only three rookies who are in No. 2 roles as we speak."

While it's certainly a good point in defense of Klubnik, can we really say the rookie quarterback earned the backup gig? Since the start of training camp, it's felt more like the organization was gifting the job to Klubnik, giving him second-team reps over the likes of Zappe and Brady Cook, and giving him the starting nods in preseason action against Tampa Bay and the New York Giants.

If New York had brought in an experienced backup, for example, a Russell Wilson, would Klubnik have still won the job? Probably not, which is why it's a silly argument to justify the Jets' decision.

The only rookie quarterback who earned their backup job is Daniels. He started the preseason at the bottom of the depth chart, behind the likes of Jake Browning and Connor Bazelak. Jets fans should remember Daniels closing out that exhibition opener at MetLife Stadium.

With solid play throughout the summer, Daniels worked his way up the depth chart and beat out his internal competition, and the same can't be said for Klubnik or even Mendoza out in Vegas.

Klubnik has upside. It's not like the Jets shouldn't be working to develop their young signal caller. It just feels like he would be best suited as the third quarterback on the depth chart, learning from guys who have seen the field before. If he's thrust into the lineup at any point throughout his rookie season, it could only end up being detrimental to his development.

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