Jets rookie Cade Klubnik sends defiant message after slide in 2026 NFL Draft

Back in December 2024, some members of the football community viewed Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik as a sure-thing first-round talent. 

However, Klubnik and Clemson then endured a rough 2025 season that the program finished with a record of 7-6, and he slid down the draft board until the New York Jets took a flier on him in the fourth round of this year's player-selection process. Over the weekend, Klubnik sent somewhat of a defiant message to those who are doubting his abilities this spring. 

Cade Klubnik has already proved that he's a winner

"In my mind, I'm a winner," Klubnik said, per Rich Cimini of ESPN. "I don't mean that in a boastful way. I think that's the mentality you have to have as a quarterback, and I think that my resume has kind of showed that as well."

The two ACC championships that Klubnik won during his college career lost some of their luster even before the 2025 campaign wrapped up. Clemson ended Nov. 1 of last year with a record of 3-5, and Klubnik tossed a total of just 16 touchdown passes after he ended the previous campaign with 36 scores through the air. 

"[Clemson] is a tough place to be," Klubnik added during his comments. "It's a really tough place to be. My senior year, with 19 starters coming back and huge aspirations and dreams that we had as a team, we didn't really fulfill those. [I] battled two major injuries throughout the year. Sitting there at 3-5, with all of our dreams and goals out the window, we kind of had to look in the mirror and look to my teammates and say, 'This is bigger than us. This is going to be special, though.'"

Specifically, Klubnik dealt with ankle and right-wrist issues this past fall. 

Will Cade Klubnik be the Jets' QB2 this September? 

The Jets reportedly want to sign Russell Wilson or a different veteran who would serve as the primary backup for Geno Smith. Smith has already been named the team's 2026 Week 1 starter by head coach Aaron Glenn, but Wilson may reject the Jets to begin a media career. It sounds like Klubnik may not automatically be relegated to the Jets' third-choice option this summer. 

"The Jets’ decision to slow-play their pursuit of another veteran backup quarterback is an indication that they’re giving Klubnik the chance to win the No. 2 quarterback job behind Geno Smith," Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic wrote for a piece published on Monday. "They’ve explored adding various veteran quarterbacks — including Carson Wentz and, most recently, Russell Wilson — but not aggressively. They still could sign someone, but for now Klubnik will get valuable reps during OTAs once the veterans join the rookie next week." 

Wentz re-signed with the Minnesota Vikings earlier this offseason. That said, it remains to be seen if the Jets will truly want Klubnik to possibly be one play away from facing a live defense in a meaningful game this coming September.