The New York Jets still lack experience on the QB depth chart beyond Geno Smith.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report listed the Jets as a “potential suitor” for veteran passer Jake Browning.
Browning, 30, signed a one-year $1.33 million contract in free agency to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason. The deal included $400,000 guaranteed.
Browning lost the QB2 competition in Tampa Bay to undrafted free agent Jalon Daniels. Daniels got the gig, and Browning was released from the 53-man roster.
Insider Greg Auman of NFL on FOX revealed on X that the Bucs offered Browning a spot on their practice squad. He declined that opportunity.
Would Certainly Add Experience to the Room
The former Washington product went undrafted in 2019. He spent the first two and a half years of his career with the Minnesota Vikings. Browning then spent the next five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Across his seven years in the NFL, Browning has appeared in 17 games and has made 10 starts. With those opportunities, Browning has completed 68.5% of his passes, thrown for 2,707 passing yards, and has 18 touchdowns to 15 interceptions.
The Jets have three total quarterbacks on the team across the 53-man roster and the practice squad. Smith was named the starter the moment he was acquired in a trade from the Las Vegas Raiders. This week, head coach Aaron Glenn officially crowned rookie Cade Klubnik as the primary backup behind Smith. The team also brought back veteran Bailey Zappe on the practice squad. However, he has been unimpressive throughout the offseason with the Jets.
I asked analyst Omari Brown of Jets X-Factor on “Boy Green Daily” if that was a vote of confidence or simply a coach saying he’s the backup because there is no one else. He told me it was the latter.
Insider Explains Quarterback Dilemma for Jets
Unless something changes in the next couple of days, Klubnik will be the QB2 in Week 1 for the Jets. That is a risky decision. The Jets would be one injury to Smith away from seeing No. 10 trot onto the field never having played an NFL snap before.
“Right now with the current Jets, if you’re telling me you’re going to get 10 weeks before anything funky happens with Geno Smith, I’m fine with Cade Klubnik being the backup. If you’re telling me that you’re going to get 12 to 14 weeks, totally fine. If you’re telling me that you’re still going to get through Halloween and we’re going to be in November around Thanksgiving before you start considering playing Cade Klubnik, I am fine with that,” NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY explained on Jets Final Drive.
“My problem with having Cade as the backup is that if he is forced to play early and I know we’re playing the if game and hypotheticals, and you can’t always live in that world, but if you’re forced to play Cade Klubnik early I believe that it stunts the development of a lot of the other players on the roster,” Hughes explained.
It’s a valid argument. Klubnik is a total unknown. Can he be competent himself if called upon? Will he be good enough to help get the ball to an array of weapons on offense? Obviously, the Jets appear willing to risk it to get the biscuit based on their moves so far.
Jets Listed as ‘Potential Suitor’ for Veteran QB Who Rejected Bucs Offer