Jets Notes: Cade Klubnik named backup quarterback; injury updates heading into Week 1
· Yahoo Sports
With initial 53-man rosters released, head coach Aaron Glenn and the Jets are shifting their focus from preseason drills during training camp to getting ready for Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Sept. 13.
Part of that includes officially naming where some players will play and debriefing on the health statuses of some banged up players after an intense summer of workouts, games and practice.
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Cade Klubnik wins backup QB battle
After being selected in the fourth round in this year's NFL Draft and battling with Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook to be Geno Smith's number two, Klubnik won the competition and was named by Glenn as New York's backup quarterback on Monday.
"He’s our backup quarterback, and he’ll do a good job," Glenn said of the 22-year-old.
Klubnik, who saw action in all three preseason games, went 21-for-34 for 190 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in his first taste of the NFL. He also had two carries for 22 yards and was sacked four times.
It was an up-and-down training camp and preseason for the rookie who showed his inexperience but also had some good moments with his poise, escapability and his arm that had a lot of talent evaluators think he could be a first-round draft pick following his junior year at Clemson in 2024-25. Instead, the quarterback returned to the Tigers for his senior season and, after a down year, fell to the Jets in the fourth round.
Regardless of where Klubnik was taken, Glenn was impressed by the youngster's confidence and how we went about his business during camp.
"Just the confidence and how he operates and what he’s done in practice, what he’s done in the games," Glenn said about what stood out about Klubnik and why he was the right choice for QB2. "I don’t think anybody ever said that there wasn’t gonna be hiccups. He’s a rookie, but he’s always learning. He’s a very intelligent guy. We’re proud that we have him and he’s improved over the course of training camp and he’s gonna continue to improve.
"[The QB] room throughout training camp was a room that we kept close eye on just to see how those guys operated and Cade has done a really good job for us."
As for the others in the running, Cook was picked up by the Miami Dolphins after getting cut while Zappe is still a free agent. The Jets are still on the lookout for quarterbacks, along with other positions, for their practice squad.
Injury updates
The biggest injury concern for New York heading into the regular season is defensive end Joseph Ossai who sustained a foot injury in the final preseason game against the Giants on Friday.
However, it looks like the Jets escaped total disaster with Ossai, who signed a three-year, $34.5 million deal in March this offseason, as he's considered week-to-week.
"Usually when you rupture [the plantar fascia], it’s a better deal," Glenn said about Ossai's injury, later admitting he's not sure if rupture is the correct term for what occurred. "It relieves any of the pain instead of a partial tear and we were lucky that we had that part so I would say week-to-week with him. It’s not something that will be long-term so I’m happy about that."
Glenn then gave a sweeping update on every other injured player, including big names such as RB Breece Hall (groin) and rookie TE Kenyon Sadiq (hernia surgery).
"With all of our other guys, we’re right on target for being ready for Week 1," Glenn said. "Obviously that’s Breece, that’s Isaiah [Davis], that’s [D’Angelo] Ponds, that’s Sadiq. All those guys will be [ready] [and I'm] very confident in where Ossai is and look forward to him getting back with us quickly."
New York's plan with Ponds, the Jets' second-round pick this year who suffered a calf strain in July that caused him to miss nearly all of training camp, is to hopefully get him out on the field as much as they can prior to the regular season without risking re-injury.
"We have to make sure we don’t mess up anything as far as our players being ready for Week 1," Glenn noted.