Getty

Former Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik reacting in the middle of a college football game against South Carolina.

On Tuesday, June 16, the New York Jets held day one of their three-day mandatory minicamp.

Rookie quarterback Cade Klubnik was noticeably absent from the field.

“When it comes to injuries, we’re pretty clean for the most part, the only person that won’t be out there today will be Cade (Klubnik), and that was my decision, alright. I don’t think there’s a reason to rush him out there. Obviously, he had the back spasms last week, and I would see him practicing more towards the end of this week. Again, it’s precautionary, don’t need to force it right now, but he’ll be with us at the end of the
week,” head coach Aaron Glenn explained.

Klubnik also missed the final week of OTAs with this back issue.

“Cade had back tightness, but he’ll be fine, he’ll be fine. The thing is, since it is a special teams practice, we want to make sure we just hold him out for the day, and he’ll be fine going into Vet Minicamp,” coach Glenn said last week.

*Narrator: Klubnik was not fine going into vet minicamp.*

Insider Highlights the Problem With Klubnik’s Continued Absence

“Fourth-round QB Cade Klubnik, who didn’t practice last week due to back soreness, remained out Tuesday. Coach Aaron Glenn called it precautionary and hopes to have him back by the end of minicamp. Klubnik, bidding for the No. 2 job (currently held by journeyman Bailey Zappe), is missing valuable reps,” ESPN’s Rich Cimini wrote.

Maybe Klubnik’s injury isn’t serious, and the team is just being super cautious. That is possible. Regardless of the severity level of the injury, Klubnik is still missing valuable time on the practice field with his teammates.

You can’t replicate those physical reps. The Jets are giving a golden opportunity to Klubnik, Bailey, and Brady Cook to win the QB2 job behind Geno Smith.

The problem is the Jets are making that determination in OTAs and mandatory minicamp. If one of the three shows enough, the Jets will resist the urge to add a veteran quarterback to the mix.

However, if they don’t show enough, then the green and white will have no other choice but to explore the market to find a reliable, proven player to serve in that role.

Klubnik better get on the field soon, or else he could be doomed to serve as QB3 during his rookie season.

Rex Ryan Followed Through on His Words

Longtime former NFL head coach turned ESPN TV analyst, Rex Ryan, told Rich Cimini last week that he planned on attending Tuesday’s practice.

He followed through on that. The beat reporters confirmed it on social media, and the Jets’ social media team took several photos and posted them online.

On the team website, the Jets posted 69 photos from the first day of mandatory minicamp. The first photo shown was a reunion between Ryan and his former quarterback, Geno Smith.

The last several photos appeared to show Ryan breaking down the team at the end of practice. If still photos can paint any kind of picture, Ryan appeared to give a passionate speech to the roster.

The Jets did not post a video of Ryan’s speech to the team. However, on Instagram, the Jets teased the debut of a new video series called “Flight 26.” That sounds like a perfect place to release this Ryan motivational talk to the fan base.