Jets Wrap Up Camp’s First Phase With Spirited Scrimmage
Defense Dominates, Offense Flashes, and Injury Updates as Preseason Nears
With the first preseason game coming this week along with two scrimmages against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Jets warmed up with their own scrimmage. Looking for different things, the one thing always to be concerned about is injuries. Here is a recap of the scrimmage:
The Jets closed out the opening phase of training camp with a full-pads, controlled scrimmage at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center, giving fans a hard look at Aaron Glenn’s squad at game speed. While the defense flashed dominance and depth, the offense experienced a mixed day featuring strong individual performances alongside self-inflicted mistakes and penalties in the heat and humidity.
Here are the key takeaways from Saturday’s scrimmage:
Geno’s Fast Start & Mixed Finish: Veteran quarterback Geno Smith opened hot, leading a 4-play, 65-yard opening drive and completing his first five passes. He finished the day 12-of-20 for 157 yards and a touchdown across nine series, though the starting unit struggled in the red zone and ran into five pre-snap penalties as fatigue set in.
Williams’ Big Day: Wide receiver Isaiah Williams continues to cement his status as a lock for the WR4 job, hauling in five catches, including a 36-yard touchdown from Smith and a massive 66-yard deep completion during a two-minute drill.
Klubnik Pulls Momentum: Rookie quarterback Cade Klubnik rebounded from an early interception to orchestrate a sharp two-minute drill, finishing 10-of-14 for 154 yards and two touchdowns (including an 11-yard strike to Jelani Woods) as he battles Bailey Zappe for the backup role.
Defensive Disruptions: Glenn’s new-look defense wreaked havoc. Safety Dane Belton snagged an interception, nickelback Jordan Clark added two pass breakups, defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. logged a sack, and newcomer Minkah Fitzpatrick added pressure.
Injury & Health Watch: Prized rookie edge rusher David Bailey caused a scare when he walked off gingerly with a left ankle issue, though Aaron Glenn later confirmed it is minor and he is day-to-day. On the recovery front, rookie safety V.J. Payne is sidelined 3 to 4 weeks with a bone bruise.
The Jets now get two days off before hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for joint practices ahead of their preseason opener against Tampa Bay next Friday.