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In a bit of a surprise on Friday, it was announced before the Tampa Bay-Jets preseason contest that Jets QB Geno Smith would not play.
Most expected him to play, at least a series, with the starting offense.
Cade Klubnik ended up starting, and on the first series, he was with the starting offense. So you would have to think the plan was for Smith to play that series.
According to Aaron Glenn, Smith didn’t play against Tampa Bay due to “ankle soreness.”
“Keeping him out for precautionary [reasons], but he’ll be just fine,” Glenn told Otis Livingston on WCBS before the game.
But the last couple of days, he was taking a lot of reps in practice, so if he doesn’t play in a game due to “ankle soreness” on Friday, why would he be practicing extensively on the Monday and Tuesday that followed that game?
If ankle soreness kept him out of the game, why would he practice on the Monday and Tuesday that followed?
Wouldn’t he be limited?
Now you could argue there is more risk in a game than practice, but he looked like his normal self today – like nothing was wrong. He had one of his better practices of the summer.
Yes, you can’t hit the QB in practice, but there is still a lot of running around, which could certainly irritate a sore ankle, and sometimes QBs get hit inadvertently.
I asked Smith today why he was able to practice full after the ankle kept him out of the game, and from his perspective, how he was able to practice full but could not play in the game.
“Coach will be able to fill you guys in on all that,” Smith said.
Smith said this after Glenn had spoken.
And if Smith could not play in the game, where was he during the game? You didn’t see him on the sidelines? You didn’t see him in the coach’s booth.
A source in the stadium said they saw Smith in a private suite watching the game.
Some would argue that he at least should wear a headset and listen to Reich’s playcalling in his first game calling plays as Jets OC. Obviously, it’s somewhat vanilla calls in the preseason, but it’s still Reich calling plays for a QB, and Smith has never worked with Reich before.
Perhaps there is more to his story than meets the eye, or maybe it’s a nothing burger . . .
Practice ended today with Cade Klubnik throwing a pick to CB Azareye’h Thomas on an overthrow over the deep middle.
He did some good things in the 7-on-7 drill with no pass rush.
In Klubnick, right now, I’m seeing a #3 QB, who you could spend 2026 developing, and there is nothing wrong with that.
People heaped praise on him for his performance against Tampa Bay in the preseason opener, after he led the Jets 65 yards on 12 plays to set up a field goal on the opening rive.
But keep in mind, this drive featured the Jets starting offense against the Tampa Bay backup defense, and two big pass plays on this drive were Garrett Wilson beating backup defensive backs. Starting DBs have a hard time covering Wilson; how are backups going to do it?
When you have a first-team offense against a backup defense, I’m sorry, you gotta grade the QB on a curve. And the drive stalled in the red zone. They got nothing done down there.
Klubnik’s second drive, with the backups, the Jets took over on a short field and drove 48 yards on five plays, but this drive was all about RB Braelon Allen, who had runs of 8, 4 and 31 yards (for a TD). Klubnik completed one pass on this series, a five-yard out to Omar Cooper.
I like Klubnik as a developmental prospect, but you could make a strong argument they are playing with fire putting him in the primary backup role to start the season . . .
The Jets had a one-on-one passing drill today which featured running backs against linebackers.
Allen beat LB Jamien Sherwood twice on out routes, and backup linebackers Marcelino McCrary-Ball and Jaden Keller had PDs on both of their reps.
Look, Allen is a terrific player, and a great complement to Breece Hall in the Jets’ running game, but his game isn’t necessarily elusiveness running routes. He’s a solid receiver, but as NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein wrote before the 2024 draft – “Tight-hipped with lethargic change of direction in tight spaces.”
So the idea that he cut away from Sherwood on both reps is far from ideal.
Sherwood is a great guy and hard worker, but his coverage needs some work . . .
When you are a bubble player, and you get dinged, you better figure out a way to stay out there.
Today, backup safety Jarius Monroe seemed to hurt his arm or shoulder on a play, but he shook it off and kept going.
Watching tight end Jelani Woods, to me, he doens’t look 100 percent. He’s wearing a compressive sleeve on his left leg, and when I watch him run, he seems a little compromised.
But if you aren’t a lock to make the roster, you better figure out a way to stay out there.
Just ask defensive end Kingsley Jonathan, who was waived injured today.
August 18, 2026
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