New York Jets fans will certainly have a close eye on the team’s QB2 situation in tonight’s preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

While nobody has run away with the job throughout training camp thus far, fourth-round rookie Cade Klubnik has taken the bulk of the second-team reps thus far.

Without question, Klubnik is the most intriguing player competing for the role. While Bailey Zappe appears in play and Brady Cook looks to be on the outside looking in entering the preseason, both have thrown more career interceptions than touchdowns.

On the other hand, Klubnik is a 22-year-old whose 2024 college season had him in a discussion as a potential top-five pick. However, a dramatic falloff in 2025 allowed him to fall to the fourth round.

The upside is undoubtedly there, though.

What would a successful start to his preseason look like tonight?

A few nice deep passes

At his peak, during the 2024 season, Klubnik’s deep passing was on full display. He completed 35 deep passes (20+ yards), which ranked third in the NCAA, trailing just Jaxson Dart (37) and Cam Ward (34), both of whom were first-round picks in 2025, with Ward being the No. 1 overall selection.

The Clemson product finished the year with a 44.9% completion rate on deep passes for 1,240 yards and 16 touchdowns against three interceptions.

However, those numbers fell off a cliff in 2025. He completed just 17 of 49 deep attempts (34.7%) for 535 yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions.

While there hasn’t been much consistency, Klubnik’s flashes on the practice field throughout training camp have been promising. Amongst those flashes have been a few really pretty deep balls, including a 60+ yard touchdown to Arian Smith.

As evidenced by the statistics above, his deep-ball success played a major role in his 2024 breakout campaign at Clemson. The disappearance of that explosiveness played a sizeable role in his decline last year.

It would be encouraging to see Klubnik show off his arm tonight and take a few deep shots downfield. His gunslinging ability is quite intriguing, and if he gets back to his 2024 level in that category, it would be a promising sign for the Jets’ fourth-round rookie.

Hold his own

This one is pretty straightforward. If Klubnik simply doesn’t look lost and shows strong command of the huddle, consistently moves the chains, and keeps the offense on schedule, that alone would be positive.

It’s important to set the record straight on Klubnik. He was drafted in the fourth round, not the first. That is an important distinction fans must keep in mind when evaluating his performances.

If he is able to develop into the Jets’ long-term QB2, that would be a huge win given his draft positioning. New York seems to hope that he can win that job right away, and why wouldn’t they? Not only did they trade up to land him, but it would also save the organization an extra roster spot, rather than a third quarterback occupying it.

The most important hope tonight should be that Klubnik looks like he can hold his own. If the 22-year-old is able to do that throughout the three preseason games, the role should be his.

Overall, his preseason doesn’t need to be spectacular and riddled with highlight-reel plays. Looking like he belongs in the league should be just enough.