Why haven’t the Jets signed a veteran backup QB yet?
That is, unless they feel that Bailey Zappe is that guy, but does he have the requisite arm talent for windy MetLife Stadium?
“Lacks the arm talent for difficult, off-platform throws,” wrote NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein in 2022, when the QB was coming out of Western Kentucky. “Won’t beat NFL coverage often enough on tight-window throws.”
Jets 2026 fourth-round pick Cade Klubnik is a project who missed valuable reps the last two weeks of the off-season program due to a back issue. You could argue he needed every rep he could get this spring to support his maturation.
The idea that they would go into the season with Klubnik one snap away from having to play as a rookie is playing with fire.
“When the first read isn’t there, his field vision is average,” wrote Zierlein before the 2026 draft.
Nothing wrong with taking a flyer on him in the fourth round, but putting him in the #2 hole right out of the gate seems like a dubious plan. He should probably be in the #3 developmental QB spot in a perfect world.
And now, with Geno Smith being in the news for a couple of things, the need for a veteran backup becomes even more apparent.
Look, none of these recent stories about Smith are likely to lead to a 2026 suspension by the NFL, so the QB should be available. However, these legal matters, neither of which is his first, are another reminder of why they probably need to go out and get a veteran backup as insurance.
You can’t mess around with the #2 QB spot in a league where they are so often called into action.
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