The New York Jets officially kicked off their preseason on Friday night while falling to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 24-16.

Despite the loss, though, there were several things that Jets fans should be excited about, and also some areas to be concerned about.

Here are my top takeaways from Gang Green’s preseason opener against Tampa Bay and how they impact the Jets’ roster.

The Jets’ QB2 battle isn’t really a battle

As Geno Smith was ruled out of the game due to foot soreness right before kickoff, fourth-round rookie Cade Klubnik took the starting reins with New York’s first-team offense.

There isn’t much more that the Jets could have asked out of Klubnik. He completed 5 of 7 passing attempts (71.4%) for 56 yards, while both of the drives that he commanded led to points, although the Jets stalled within the 15-yard line on the first drive.

Overall, he looked comfortable and played within structure, which is all that you could ask for. It was exciting to watch what he could do with the Jets’ first-team offense, as he hasn’t gotten many reps with the unit throughout training camp.

The same can’t be said about Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook, who picked up the remainder of the snaps after Klubnik was taken out of the game.

While Cook looked fine with the third-team offense, going 9-of-15 (60% completion rate) for 108 yards while taking a sack, the chances of him becoming the team’s QB2 are slim to none, as they should be.

Bailey Zappe, who appeared to be Klubnik’s main competitor for the job, struggled on Friday night. While completing 6-of-10 passes for 55 yards, he tossed two interceptions, including a pick-six on his first play, and took two sacks.

It’s important to note that his second interception was due to a drop by Arian Smith, not Zappe’s fault, though his overall outing remained quite ugly.

After Friday’s preseason opener, it’s safe to say the Jets’ backup quarterback to start the year will be either Klubnik or a veteran acquired around cutdown day.

LB competition heating up

One of the Jets’ biggest questions on their depth chart is who will step up as the team’s third linebacker behind Jamien Sherwood and Demario Davis.

Mykal Walker and Marcelino McCrary-Ball tied for the team’s most solo tackles with four while consistently being near the ball.

The same could be said about Francisco “Kiko” Mauigoa, who had three solo tackles and looked comfortable on the field.

The job is still wide open. It would be nice to see Mauigoa, whom the Jets selected in the fifth round of last year’s draft, step up and earn the role.

Walker is also certainly in play, as he was a late-season riser for the team in 2025 and consistently played an impactful role on special teams.

McCrary-Ball, on the other hand, is looking to prove that he is just more than a special teamer. He played a strong role in that phase last year as New York’s special teams captain, but the Jets don’t have much wiggle room to roster pure special teamers this year.

To earn a roster spot, he will need to show the coaching staff that he can play a role as a rotational linebacker at the very least.