Geno Smith will not be making the start for the New York Jets in their preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo shared the news on X, saying, “Jets QB Geno Smith will not play tonight against the Buccaneers because of foot soreness, source says. It’s nothing the team is concerned about, and if this was a regular-season game, he’d be a go. But for now, a cautionary route for the team.”
With Smith out of the lineup, Garafolo revealed that rookie quarterback Cade Klubnik will get the start. He also shared that “the rest of the [Jets’] starters are a go.”
Social Media Reaction to This Surprising News
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport responded to this Smith injury news by writing, “One to keep an eye on.”
NFL analyst Will Parkinson said, “Lottttta Klub tonight.”
“Not ideal. Starting offense needs reps,” ESPN New York’s Jake Asman said.
This News Is Unfortunate
Head coach Aaron Glenn revealed earlier this week that he planned on playing all of his starters.
Part of the reason he decided to do that is because of all the changes this team endured this offseason. That included multiple coaching changes, which featured two of his three coordinators getting replaced.
The only way to get better at football is to play football. Smith and the rest of this offense need to get reps together. With the preseason opener out of the picture, Smith only has two preseason games left at a maximum to get those reps.
Golden Opportunity for Klubnik to Secure the QB2 Job
With Smith out, Klubnik is going to get an extended look. Not only will he be getting a ton of reps, but those will come with the starting offense.
That isn’t a luxury that the former Clemson quarterback has experienced much during training camp. The Jets received a ton of praise this offseason for the improvements they made across the roster, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.
This Jets offense is a Ferrari, and it needs a driver to take full advantage of it. The Jets want Klubnik to win the QB2 job. They’ve had multiple chances this offseason to bring in a proven veteran to backup Smith, yet they have resisted the urge.
If Klubnik balls out tonight, he can get one step closer to securing the QB2 job ahead of the 2026 season.
Klubnik Could Be in Line for Much More Than the Backup Job
At this moment in time, all the reporting suggests that Smith is fine. If this were a regular-season game, he would have gutted it out. However, it isn’t a regular-season game, so we will never know if that would have been true.
The backup quarterback is always just one play away from getting installed into the starting lineup. That is the case in this situation. If Smith’s issues linger, Klubnik could be getting run during the regular season.
The season opener is less than a month away for the Jets.
Jets Announce QB Cade Klubnik News an Hour Before Bucs Game