The Jets will travel to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers on Friday in their second preseason game before the regular season begins on Sept. 13 against the Titans. Last week, Aaron Glenn said almost everyone was going to play before the team’s opener against the Buccaneers.
This week it was more of the same when asked about the starters—well, all but one: Geno Smith.
“The players are gonna play,” Glenn said. “Things can change as we get closer to game time.”
Smith has had a bum ankle for nearly a week now, and it has lingered into the last few practices. While Glenn isn’t opposed to Smith playing in the Steel City, his main focus is the health of the team and whether or not they would be able to suit up in Friday’s game.
Smith’s ankle has been gaining attention as of late. The former Pro Bowler went just 0-3 passing the ball in Wednesday’s practice. The first two were off the mark while the third was a late throw to Garrett Wilson. He did complete two passes, but they were wiped off the board due to penalties on the offense.
“It is [difficult],” Glenn said. “The thing we do quite a bit is make sure we have game intensity in practice. It’s not just with Geno, it’s any player…as we get towards the end of it we want to make sure we make the right decision on playing the guys or not.”
With Smith injured, Cade Klubnik was inserted into the first team. Klubnik, who was drafted out of Clemson in the fourth round of this year’s draft, has firmly been the Jets’ second-string quarterback. He completed five of his seven passes for 56 yards against the Bucs last week.
But on Wednesday, running with the starters, the rookie showed promise.
Klubnik went 5-for-5 playing with the starters during the team’s red-zone period and found Garrett Wilson for a good gain. He looked solid under center and drove the Jets’ offense down the field not just once, but twice.
He threw touchdown passes to Jelani Woods and Kene Nwangwu. With Smith’s status up in the air, there is a chance that Klubnik will receive more playing time against the Steelers and even run with the starters.
“I think every time he practices, he’s getting better,” Glenn said. “I like the fact that the mistakes he makes in practice were able to coach them.”
But don’t buy too much stock in it; Smith is still the starter in the Big Apple until otherwise, and Klubnik still has room to develop as a passer. It also does help going against a defense that has gotten an upper hand against the defense.
Glenn has seen the defense grow during the offseason, which he credits to the additions of Demario Davis and Minkah Fitzpatrick, who have given the defense a bigger veteran presence. This is Davis’s third stint in gang green, but he also reunites with Glenn, who he spent three seasons with while the pair were in New Orleans.
“There’s a number of guys who we brought in who have helped that,” Glenn said.“It’s the energy every time those guys go out and play. Camp is dog days, and there’s gonna be times when you’re riding high. Players get tired of that part of it. Do you have a player that can keep that energy going? I think he does a helluva job at that. He does a helluva job when we’re meeting together, being like, ‘this is what coach wants,’ because he’s been with me.”
For more on Geno Smith and the Jets, visit AMNY.com
