The New York Jets’ plans for the preseason finale against the New York Giants have leaked out on social media.
Brian Costello of the New York Post revealed on X, “Jets QB Geno Smith will not play tomorrow night against the Giants, per source. Most of the Jets starters who have played this preseason are expected to sit out the preseason finale.”
Jets Playing it Safe
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn was cagey when asked what his preseason plans for the Giants game were.
“I’m still thinking about that, to be honest with you. I will have an answer real soon, but I just want to make sure that I make the right decision. The only thing I want our guys focusing on right now is getting to that next practice, which is going to be a hard practice tomorrow,” Glenn told the media.
Ultimately, coach Glenn is playing it safe. He saw what he needed to see from his starters. With those key players not suiting up, the next time Jets fans will see these players in when it really counts.
The Jets open up the 2026 season on the road against the Tennessee Titans in Week 1.
Quality Over Quantity
Smith was supposed to make his preseason debut against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1. However a swollen ankle made the Jets think twice about playing him.
Ultimately, the team played it safe. The following week, Smith made his debut against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2.
On the opening drive of the game, Smith went 7-for-7 for 65 passing yards. He threw one touchdown pass, no interceptions, and finished with a 144.9 quarterback rating. He helped the Jets march right down the field against the majority of the Steelers’ defensive starters. It was a 10-play drive 69-yard drive that resulted in a 13-yard touchdown connection between Smith and tight end Jelani Woods.
After that success, the Jets pulled him from the game. With Smith not playing in the preseason finale, that means his preseason experience was one-and-done.
Looming Question Heading Into Game
So Smith and the starters will all be put on ice for this game. What about some key backup players that have secured their roles on the team? You probably don’t want to risk those players.
The most interesting of the bunch is rookie quarterback Cade Klubnik. If he doesn’t suit up in this contest, that would seemingly all but assure that he will be the QB2 behind Smith when the Jets start the season.
Klubnik was 15-of-21 for 131 passing yards with zero touchdowns and zero interceptions. He was sacked three times and had one carry for 16 rushing yards across two preseason games. He has been solid, but unspectacular.
Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe have done nothing so far to give you confidence that they could be the QB2 for the Jets in 2026.
“The organization believes in Cade Klubnik — more than we thought,” ESPN’s Rich Cimini wrote. “You knew there was an affinity for the former Clemson star when they traded up 18 spots to draft him in the fourth round, but they doubled down by not bringing in a seasoned quarterback for the No. 2 job. They made it Klubnik’s job to lose … and he hasn’t. Not in emphatic fashion, though. Klubnik was up and down in camp, and his performance against the Steelers wasn’t as crisp as the previous week, but the organization apparently has seen enough maturity and intelligence to make him the backup.”
Jets’ Geno Smith Plans Leak Ahead of Giants Preseason Finale