A former NFL quarterback gave some advice to former Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik as he gets ready to start his professional career with the New York Jets.

In an interview with Paul Andrew Esden Jr., host of Boy Green Daily — a daily Jets video show – recently retired NFL QB Chris Streveler shared the following words of advice for Klubnik, who was drafted by the Jets in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft with the 110th overall pick.

Klubnik is now part of a Jets QB room that also includes Geno Smith, Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe. Klubnik will jockey for position on the depth chart behind the 14-year veteran Smith, who was named the starter by Jets head coach Aaron Glenn.

“Just go in with an open mind,” Streveler said of his advice for Klubnik. “Soak up as much information as you can. I mean, you’ve got Geno Smith in that room. That’s a guy who has been through a ton. He has been through a lot of adversity, and those are the guys that I always lean on in terms of their perspective because they’ve been through the ups and downs. He has been in multiple organizations, so that dude has a plethora of knowledge.”

Streveler officially announced his retirement from professional football in March at age 31 after a career spanning three NFL seasons (Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets) and four seasons in the Canadian Football League.

The Jets traded up to get Klubnik, dealing away two fourth-round picks (Nos. 128 and 140) to the Cincinnati Bengals in order to move up 18 spots and grab him.

Streveler added to Klubnik, “just work as hard as you can, man, and prepare like you’re the starter because you don’t know when that opportunity’s coming.”

“My situation is a perfect example of that,” said Streveler, who primarily served as a backup over his three NFL seasons, while playing in nine games, completing 27 of 40 passes for 231 yards and one touchdown and rushing for another 75 yards.

“You might get seven hours’ notice that you’re gonna be playing in a game. So, just be a sponge, soak up as much as you can, invest in those relationships with the other quarterbacks in the room and the coaches, and then just work as hard as you can to prepare like you’re the starter. Because when that opportunity comes, you don’t want to have regrets in terms of how you were preparing and working.”

Last season, Klubnik battled various ailments including ankle and wrist injuries. After passing for 3,639 yards, 36 touchdowns and only six interceptions while leading Clemson to an ACC title and appearance in the College Football Playoff during his junior season in 2024, Klubnik threw for 2,943 yards, 16 touchdowns and six picks in 2025.

Though his senior season didn’t go the way he had hoped, Klubnik still finished his time in Tigertown with one of the more productive careers in Clemson history.

A two-time ACC Championship Game MVP, Klubnik exited Clemson as the school-record-holder in pass completions (916) and pass attempts (1,432), third in passing yards (10,123), fourth in passing touchdowns (73), total touchdown responsibility (90) and total offense (11,001). He also joined Rodney Williams (44), Tajh Boyd (40), Nealon Greene (40) and Charlie Whitehurst (40) as the fifth quarterback in Clemson history to start at least 40 career games at quarterback. Klubnik posted a 26-14 record as a starter, concluding his career fifth in wins by a starting quarterback in school history.

Streveler believes Klubnik is in a “great” spot as he begins his NFL career in the Big Apple with the Jets.

“I think he’s in a great position with some of the other guys in that room and some of the coaches that they have on staff. I know some of those guys, and I’m excited for him,” Streveler said. “He’s obviously got the physical tools – now just investing in that development, and the work that he puts in day-to-day, is going to kind of dictate where he goes.”