Cade Klubnik didn’t need a huge stat line to make a strong first impression in his first NFL action. The former Clemson quarterback got the start for the New York Jets on Friday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and looked comfortable in limited work. Klubnik completed five of seven passes for 56 yards while leading New York on two scoring possessions. The Jets came away with a field goal on Klubnik’s opening drive before finding the end zone on his second and final series, with Braelon Allen finishing the possession on the ground. New York scored 10 points with Klubnik running the offense. Klubnik received the starting opportunity with Geno Smith sidelined by foot soreness, giving the rookie a valuable chance to make his case in a crowded backup quarterback competition.
The Jets traded up to No. 110 in the NFL Draft to select Klubnik following a Clemson career in which he threw for more than 10,000 yards and accounted for 90 total touchdowns. Here’s a look at how social media reacted to Cade Klubnik’s NFL debut.
Every Cade Klubnik completion vs the Bucs 5/7 for 56 yards. pic.twitter.com/fINE86R2SX — Shane (@SullyJN_) August 15, 2026
5 of 7 for a 71.4 comp % 56 yards 8 yards per throw 94.9 QB rating Led the #Jets to 2 scoring drives What were your thoughts on Cade Klubnik in his NFL debut❓ pic.twitter.com/BICL49JOsm — Harrison Glaser (@NYJetsTFMedia) August 15, 2026
Aaron Glenn on Cade Klubnik: #Jets "I thought he did a hell of a job. He was chomping at the bit to get an opportunity to go with the 1's, & not getting a lot of work with them, I give him a lot of credit for going out there & operating the way that he did. He has some moxie to… pic.twitter.com/eGrCtBnLef — Harrison Glaser (@NYJetsTFMedia) August 15, 2026
Cade Klubnik is done for the night and Bailey Zappe is coming in at QB Solid debut for Klubnik 📈 pic.twitter.com/Qig2ky4eGy — SleeperJets (@SleeperJets) August 15, 2026
Cade Klubnik’s first drive as a New York Jet: - 4 completions - 51 passing yards - Led NYJ to a 27-yard FG pic.twitter.com/UFrrmRgENB — Barstool Clemson (@BarstoolClemson) August 14, 2026
Cade Klubnik had a STELLAR debut for the Jets. 👀 🔶 5/7 completions 🔶 56 passing yards 🔶 71.4% completion rate Geno Smith did not play tonight due to foot soreness, opening the door for Klubnik to get an extended look. (via NFL) pic.twitter.com/rxyNO31utj — Preme Football (@premefootball) August 15, 2026
Cade Klubnik was cooking. Let the momentum ride. Impossible to say dude to lack of attempts what kind of day Klubnik had. Completely deflated the offense. pic.twitter.com/YhBZcoYKdv — Frankie V (@FrankieVitz) August 15, 2026
Cade Klubnik leading them out 🥹✈#Jets | 🎥 @nyjetspic.twitter.com/91AYZMWWVi — Harrison Glaser (@NYJetsTFMedia) August 14, 2026 Contact us at @Clemson_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news, notes and opinions. This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Social media reacts to Cade Klubnik’s strong NFL debut with New York Jets