Aaron Glenn said Russell Wilson’s new CBS analyst role for the 2026 season changes nothing about the Jets’ quarterback planning, as New York continues weighing options for the No. 2 job behind Geno Smith.
Russell Wilson’s next stop won’t be a Jets practice field.
Wilson is joining CBS as an analyst on The NFL Today for the 2026 season. and he chose broadcasting over an opportunity to serve as the backup quarterback to Geno Smith with the Jets. The decision surfaced during Jets head coach Aaron Glenn’s press conference on Tuesday. where Glenn was asked what Wilson’s move means for the team’s plans for the No. 2 quarterback role.
Glenn didn’t sound like a coach adjusting his board. “Nothing at all,” he said. “I think the last time we talked I had said that we were looking at number of quarterbacks. and that’s just what it was. Hopefully he will have a good TV career. Heck, I know that he’ll be good at it, and congrats to him.”.
The Jets already have a group behind Smith: Brady Cook, Bailey Zappe, and fourth-round pick Cade Klubnik. Glenn’s comments suggest the Wilson decision simply removes one potential path, without forcing a shift in how New York evaluates the position.
A report last month said that the Jets want to see more of Klubnik in OTAs before making any other moves for a more experienced quarterback. With Wilson no longer an option, the rookie’s window to land the backup role could look clearer as the offseason work begins.
That’s the tension now for the Jets: Smith’s job remains the anchor, while the No. 2 spot is still up for debate—shaped less by a veteran coming through, and more by how the team wants to evaluate its younger options and what they do next.
Aaron Glenn Russell Wilson CBS The NFL Today Geno Smith New York Jets Brady Cook Bailey Zappe Cade Klubnik OTAs backup quarterback NFL news
Wilson already picked TV so Jets gotta stop dreaming.
So he’s gone to CBS and Aaron Glenn just shrugs? That seems like they’re pretending it’s fine but obviously it messes with the plan for the backup QB slot.
Wait, I thought Wilson was still gonna be the backup? Like, didn’t he come back or something? If the Jets want more Klubnik in OTAs, they’re just gambling that a rookie can take over when Geno gets hurt again… which is always a joke to me.
CBS analyst role like that’s “nothing at all” lol okay. Also Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook as the backup behind Geno… I mean Geno’s good but backups usually don’t matter until they do, right? I feel like they should’ve just signed another veteran and been done with it. Watching young guys is cool until the first bad preseason snap.