In brief
Why do the Jets keep three quarterbacks on the roster?
Because the alternative is worse. Carrying a third quarterback costs a roster spot that could go to a special-teams contributor, but not carrying one means a single injury leaves the Jets running an NFL offense with a practice-squad passer who has taken no first-team reps. With Geno Smith turning 36 and a rookie fourth-round pick as the backup, New York has more reason than most teams to pay that insurance premium — and the emergency third quarterback rule makes the spot cheaper than it used to be.
Every August the same argument runs through every fan base in the league: is the third quarterback worth a roster spot? For the Jets in 2026 the question is unusually live, because the third quarterback is Bailey Zappe, the second is a rookie, and the first is a 36-year-old on a veteran contract.
This is a Jets Explained piece — the New York application of a league-wide rule. For the underlying mechanics, start with our NFL guides hub, and for the current room see the Jets depth chart.
What the roster spot actually costs
A 53-man roster is a zero-sum document. Every quarterback beyond the second is a player who is not a fourth cornerback, a swing tackle, or a core special-teams linebacker who plays 300 snaps in the kicking game.
That is a real cost, and it is why roughly half the league carries two quarterbacks on the active roster and keeps a third on the practice squad. The math changed in 2023, when the NFL restored a version of the emergency third quarterback rule: a team may dress a third passer on game day from the practice squad without using a standard elevation, provided he is designated in advance and enters only if both quarterbacks ahead of him are unavailable.
That rule is the single biggest reason the third quarterback is no longer an automatic roster spot. It lets a team keep the insurance without paying full price for it.
Why the Jets’ situation argues for carrying one anyway
Three factors push New York toward keeping a genuine third arm rather than stashing one.
- Age and durability at the top. Geno Smith is 36 and missed the preseason opener with an ankle issue described as day-to-day. Nothing about that is alarming on its own; it is exactly the kind of reminder that makes a front office count its quarterbacks.
- A rookie as the backup. Cade Klubnik was a fourth-round pick and has been the better player this August, but a rookie backup is a different risk profile than a veteran backup. If Smith goes down in October, the Jets are asking a rookie to run Frank Reich’s offense — and they would very much like an experienced third option behind him.
- Development snaps are scarce. Klubnik needs reps. Every rep he takes is one Zappe or Brady Cook does not, which makes the third quarterback’s value almost entirely about emergency readiness rather than competition.
The case against, which is not weak
The Jets went 3-14 in 2025 and are rebuilding. A rebuilding team’s roster spots are more valuable than a contender’s, because they are the only place young players can be developed. Spending one on a 27-year-old veteran with 19 career games and a 12-to-14 touchdown-to-interception ratio is a hard case to make on merit.
Zappe’s August has not helped it. Zappe joined the Jets on a reserve/future contract in January, back when the quarterback room was a blank page. He threw two interceptions on 6-of-10 passing against Tampa Bay and went 6-of-8 for 68 yards against Pittsburgh without turning the ball over but without seizing the job either. Local coverage has moved from asking whether he is the QB2 to asking whether he makes the practice squad.
The alternative approach — keep two quarterbacks, designate a practice-squad passer as the emergency third — costs nothing on the 53 and covers the catastrophic case. Our practice squad guide covers how those designations and elevations work.
What to watch this week
The reduction to 53 forces the answer. Three outcomes are live: Zappe makes the roster as QB3, Zappe is released and re-signed to the practice squad as the emergency designee, or the Jets move on entirely and look to the waiver wire for a veteran shaken loose by another team’s cutdown.
The third option is the one to watch, because cutdown day is the best veteran-acquisition window of the year. Every team is trimming to 53 on the same afternoon, and quarterbacks with starting experience come available for nothing but a claim. Our waiver wire guide explains the claiming order — and at 3-14 in 2025, the Jets sit very near the front of it.
Related on JetsInsider
- Bailey Zappe player page
- Jets sign Bailey Zappe to a reserve/future contract (January 2026)
- Cade Klubnik player page
- Geno Smith player page
- What Is the NFL Practice Squad?
- How NFL Waivers Work
Frequently asked questions
How many quarterbacks do the Jets keep on the 53-man roster?
It varies by year. Roughly half the league keeps two quarterbacks on the active roster and designates a third from the practice squad under the emergency third quarterback rule. The Jets enter the 2026 cutdown with Geno Smith, Cade Klubnik, Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook competing for what may be only two or three spots.
What is the NFL’s emergency third quarterback rule?
A team may designate a third quarterback from its practice squad on game day without using a standard elevation. He may enter only if both quarterbacks ahead of him are unavailable. The rule lets teams keep emergency coverage without spending a 53-man roster spot on it.
Who is the Jets’ backup quarterback in 2026?
The Jets have not named one. Rookie fourth-round pick Cade Klubnik has outperformed Bailey Zappe through camp and two preseason games and is listed ahead of him on the unofficial depth chart, with Geno Smith the starter.
Why is carrying a third quarterback controversial?
Because a 53-man roster is zero-sum. A third quarterback is a player who is not a fourth corner, swing tackle or core special-teams contributor. For a rebuilding team, that spot is especially valuable as developmental real estate.