The first week of the 2026 NFL preseason opened Thursday and kept rolling Friday, with three games producing the kind of early snapshots coaches use to sort out rosters and roles. Cade Klubnik gave the Jets one of the clearest ones, stepping in for a surprise start and leading the offense to points in two series.
The timing matters because preseason Week 1 is the first live test after camp work, and every snap now carries more weight than it will in a few weeks. The Jets were without Geno Smith, who was ruled out as a precaution because of an ankle injury, so Klubnik got the chance to run the starting unit while the evaluation window was still wide open.
He handled it efficiently. Klubnik completed 5 of 7 passes for 56 yards, pushed the starting offense to a field goal and a touchdown, and connected with Garrett Wilson on two third-down conversions before Aaron Glenn pulled him after just two series. That decision stood out because the start was going smoothly, which makes the cutoff more revealing than the numbers alone. Glenn got enough to see rhythm and command, but not enough to pretend a clean debut settled anything.
Elsewhere, the opening games delivered the kind of small but meaningful samples teams look for in August. Ayden Garnes intercepted Bailey Zappe and returned it 47 yards for a touchdown. For the Buccaneers, Josiah Trotter finished with two tackles, David Walker had two quarterback pressures, Ted Hurst III caught two passes, Bauer Sharp went 4-for-5 on targets, and Dean Patterson went 5-for-7 on targets. Rueben Bain Jr. is set to make his debut next week.
The other Friday matchups also gave coaches a first read on depth players and new pieces. David Bailey made one tackle and one quarterback pressure in eight snaps for the Jets, while Omar Cooper Jr. added a 26-yard reception with the backups. For the Broncos, Jonah Coleman ran for 24 yards on four carries, Cameron Ross ripped off a 24-yard carry, and Sam Fresch broke up a pass by Jack Strand with 1:54 left in the game. Tua Tagovailoa made his first start of any kind with the Atlanta Falcons and completed 3 of 5 passes for 22 yards.
The opening week did what preseason football is supposed to do: it offered hints, not answers. Klubnik looked ready for more, but Glenn’s choice to stop after two series says the Jets are still measuring how much they need to see before the real decisions begin. The next checkpoints come quickly, with the Jets scheduled to play at the Pittsburgh Steelers on Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. ET on NFL Network, the Broncos facing the Green Bay Packers the same night at 9 p.m. ET on, and the Buccaneers meeting the Kansas City Chiefs on Aug. 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET on.
