EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — When Cade Klubnik was a freshman in high school, he stood on the sideline and watched as a superstar wide receiver went up and caught a ball with one hand, still one of the best catches he’s ever seen.Klubnik has spent a lot of time watching Garrett Wilson over the years. They both grew up in Austin, Texas. When Klubnik was a freshman at Westlake High, Wilson was a senior at Lake Travis. That’s where the quarterback saw that one-handed grab, the sort of thing that’s become routine for Wilson, one of the most acrobatic, athletic wide receivers the NFL has to offer.This summer, Klubnik and Wilson worked out together in Texas.“We got to sling it around,” Wilson said.Once training camp started, their shared reps dwindled, the product of a rookie competing to become the No. 2 quarterback while Wilson gets reps with Geno Smith, the veteran starter. On Wednesday, Smith left joint practices with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after he felt soreness in an ankle; head coach Aaron Glenn told Klubnik on Thursday he’d be starting the preseason opener against Tampa Bay — a big deal considering the rest of the offense would consist of starters. Including Wilson.On one of Klubnik’s first NFL snaps Friday night, he stood strong in a clean pocket and delivered a pass, in traffic, to the receiver he’s long admired and watched from afar. Klubnik put the ball in a spot only Wilson could get it — and he did, contorting his body to leap above the defensive back and come down with it for a 21-yard gain and a first down. Klubnik hit Wilson again on third down a few plays later to help set up a field goal on the opening drive.“It was no surprise to see him make a play like that,” Klubnik said. “He’s one of the most athletic, best receivers I’ve ever seen in my life, and to see him make plays like that over the years and again today, in person, is fun.”The bigger surprise: how calm and cool Klubnik was in his NFL debut, even if it was against Buccaneers backups and in a preseason game. It might seem like nothing to get excited about, but consider the run of young Jets quarterbacks over the last decade. In this setting and in training-camp practices, you could see it with past QBs — misfiring on what should be easy completions, holding on to the ball too long and/or crumbling when pressure comes.Klubnik has had good days and bad days this summer, but he’s really done none of that. Wilson has noticed it, too.“Confidence is the main thing I would say with him,” Wilson said Wednesday. “From Day 1, honestly, I was like: Man, he trusts his training, his arm, to make some throws where it’s like, Man, wow. … He’s got it all.”Klubnik has another word for it: poise.“Although I’m a young player, I’m poised and I don’t feel like I get really flustered from big games and big moments,” he said, later explaining, “I just love football. I love the game. And I get so excited. Everybody gets nerves, everybody gets butterflies. But for me I just feel like I’ve always been really excited to play the game. And you train all year long, you only get so many opportunities to put the pads on, put the helmet on and really go play. My whole life I’ve always been excited on game days, never really nervous.”Top Plays from Buccaneers @ JetsOverall, it was a solid evening for Klubnik, who played only two series before giving way to Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook. Klubnik is technically competing with Zappe and Cook for the No. 2 job behind Smith, but really it’s his job to lose. On Friday, Zappe threw two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, while Cook showed last season that he’s probably not an NFL-caliber quarterback.
Cade Klubnik cool, calm and collected in NFL debut, highlighting Jets’ preseason opener
Plus, David Bailey's debut, and a UDFA defensive back delivers a big night against the Bucs.












