New York Jets rookie Cade Klubnik suddenly thrust into NFL debut after Geno Smith suffers concerning injury against Bills

New York’s divisional showdown took an unexpected turn when its starting quarterback left the game, forcing a promising rookie into a difficult NFL debut.

The New York Jets lost quarterback Geno Smith to an injury in their Week 10 game against the Buffalo Bills, and rookie Cade Klubnik is now running the offense in a division showdown. Smith took a hit late in the first half and did not return for the start of the second half. For a Jets team that needed a clean afternoon against Buffalo, this likely won’t help.

Look, nobody wants to see this. But it is an opportunity for the rookie in Klubnik to get some action early in his career.

Geno Smith is down on the field after taking this hit.pic.twitter.com/yLMaYc5ZGN

The Jets were driving in the final two minutes of the first half and had worked their way into the red zone. On third down, Smith pulled the ball down and scrambled before throwing the ball away at the last second. Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard caught him and delivered a hit to the rib area.

Smith went to the blue medical tent after the play. When the second half kicked off, he was nowhere to be seen, and Klubnik jogged out with the offense instead.

The New York Jets have a 9% chance at the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft and a 78% chance at a top-5 pick, according to the A to Z Sports NFL Playoff Predictor (updated Sun, Nov 15).

Geno Smith’s injury is now currently being evaluated for a concussion.

That detail matters. The hit landed on his ribs, but a concussion evaluation is a different situation entirely and comes with its own protocol. Until the Jets put out an official update, there is no reason to guess about his status for the rest of the game or beyond. What we do know is that New York’s quarterback plan for the second half just changed in a hurry.

Klubnik is the only other active quarterback on the Jets roster. That means there is no veteran waiting on the sideline and no safety net if things go sideways. New York drafted him in the fourth round out of Clemson, and his first NFL snaps are coming against Buffalo with a division game on the line. Will Levis is currently on the practice squad.

Could you script a tougher debut? Not really. A rookie quarterback making his first appearance midgame, with no week of first-team practice reps and a division rival across the line of scrimmage, is about as uncomfortable as it gets in this league. The Bills know the Jets well, and they will absolutely test a young quarterback who hasn’t seen live NFL action until this very afternoon.

I’ll tell you this much, though: this is not a lost cause. Klubnik started a lot of big games at Clemson, and quarterbacks who come out of that program are used to playing in loud, high-pressure environments. He won’t be overwhelmed by the moment the way some rookies might be. The question is whether the Jets coaching staff can simplify things enough to let him play fast.

I think the plan for New York is pretty straightforward. Lean on the run game, get Klubnik some easy completions early, and avoid putting him in obvious passing downs where Buffalo can pin its ears back and rush. A couple of quick throws to the sideline or underneath can settle a young quarterback down and get him into a rhythm.

The biggest thing is protecting the football. A rookie in his first action is going to miss some reads, and that’s fine. What the Jets cannot afford is turning it over and handing Buffalo short fields. If Klubnik keeps the offense on schedule and avoids the back-breaking mistake, New York can stay in this game.

Now, the roster situation is something the Jets will have to address no matter how Geno Smith’s injury evaluation turns out. Carrying only two active quarterbacks means one hit can leave a team with zero margin for error, and that’s exactly where New York sits right now.

Klubnik is going to have some rookie moments in this one. That’s guaranteed. But I believe he has the poise to keep the Jets competitive, and this second half is going to tell us a lot about what New York has in its fourth-round quarterback.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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