With Roster Cuts Today, Will Packers Keep Kyle McCord or Make Risky Gamble at QB?

GREEN BAY, Wis. – In the process of setting their initial 53-man roster on Sunday, the Green Bay Packers will face an incredibly difficult decision with quarterback Kyle McCord.

McCord, who was drafted by the Eagles last year, had a sensational final preseason game with 226 passing yards, four touchdowns and a 119.5 passer rating in Green Bay’s come-from-behind victory over Arizona. McCord threw two touchdown passes to Kisean Johnson in the final 3:19 to win the game.

Here’s the dilemma confronting general manager Brian Gutekunst.

Keeping three quarterbacks would impact how many players are kept at another position. Unless disaster struck, McCord isn’t going to play a single snap this season behind Jordan Love and Tyrod Taylor. In a perfect world, he’d be a gameday inactive for all 17 games.

That’s not a judicious use of a roster spot.

However, quality quarterbacks don’t grow on trees and McCord’s last impression was about as favorable as possible.

“He did a heck of a job, man,” coach Matt LaFleur said after the game. “He was just so poised in his ability to operate and function. He definitely has the demeanor, no doubt about it. He’s in total control out there, and he’s willing to stand in the pocket, deliver in the face of pressure. Yeah, I thought he did an outstanding job.”

The ability to stand in the pocket and deliver under pressure can be improved with coaching but, for the most part, it’s a trait that a quarterback has or he doesn’t. Will that ability attract the attention of quarterback-hungry teams?

That’s what Gutekunst must contemplate.

Will Kyle McCord Be in Demand?

One interested observer might be Gutekunst’s former right-hand man, new Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. The Dolphins traded Quinn Ewers to Jacksonville for a sixth-round pick on Saturday, so they have a big hole behind their new starting quarterback, Malik Willis.

The other quarterbacks on the roster are Cam Miller and Mark Gronowski. It’s almost impossible to believe the Dolphins are going to go down that road. If they don’t already have Plan B lined up, they might be waiting to see who becomes available on Sunday, whether it’s a trade or a release.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Kyle McCord (18) throws under pressure from the Arizona Cardinals linebacker Eku Leota. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Sullivan joined the Dolphins about 10 days before the Packers signed McCord, but he no doubt was part of the scouting process before the 2025 draft.

McCord could hardly have had a better preseason. He finished second in the NFL with 446 passing yards and first with four touchdowns. With zero interceptions, his three-game passer rating was 102.4.

Against the Cardinals, he was 22-of-35 passing. There were three drops, including Isaiah Neyor flubbing what probably would have been a 65-yard touchdown.

No. 3 Could Be New No. 2

The No. 3 quarterback for the Packers, whether he’s on the 53-man roster or the practice squad, potentially will be in the pole position to be the backup to Love next year. The 37-year-old Taylor joined the Packers on a one-year deal, so there’s obviously no guarantee he’ll return to Green Bay.

“That would be huge,” McCord said of remaining in Green Bay for a year of development. “It’s been a goal since I signed here, to make the 53. I feel like my development here in the past whatever eight months since I signed here has been awesome, just being in that room with the coaches and the guys in there. That’s the goal.”

McCord was a sixth-round pick by the Eagles last year after a prolific final season at Syracuse in which he led the nation with 4,779 passing yards. He spent last season on Philadelphia’s practice squad but was not given a futures contract after the season.

So, he signed with the Packers, quickly beat out Kyron Drones in training camp and flourished in the games.

“He did a really nice job, just diving into the playbook and learning what we do and how we do it,” quarterbacks coach Luke Getsy said last week. “He doesn’t get a ton of opportunities in the regular practices, and so when we get out in these games and he gets these opportunities, he’s taking advantage of it.

“The moment’s not too big for him. I think his career in college has kind of prepared him for this, and he’s gone out and he’s a gunslinger and he’s done a nice job.”

McCord credited the coaches, including Getsy.

“One, the coaches, for sure. Being in that room with Gets, Coach LaFleur has been great,” McCord said when asked about his trajectory. Just a lot of great offensive minds in the building.

“And then the two guys I’m in the room with, Jordan and Tyrod. Obviously, Jordan going on Year 7 and Tyrod going into Year 16, they’ve seen a lot of football. They’ve been in my position as a young quarterback in the league. Having those two guys has been great. And just the overall vibe with the quarterbacks, being able to go out and play aggressive, push the ball down the field, take shots. I feel like that’s my game. I feel like it’s a really good fit.”

Mission Accomplished Already

So, after a rookie season that didn’t meet his expectations, McCord has accomplished one of his goals by proving he’s capable of playing in the NFL.

Now, the question is where that will continue this season. Because he played so well, will he stick with the Packers? Or, because he played so well, will he wind up on another roster?

“I feel like I definitely did” prove it, he said. “That was the big goal this preseason, like I said in Pittsburgh, to prove that I could play at this level. I feel like the NFL, what we saw tonight, being down two possessions late in the game, being able to come back and make the most out of those drives is huge.

“Every single game in the NFL comes down to those situations. Like I said earlier, situational football this preseason has been really good. Yeah, I definitely think I accomplished that this preseason.”

So, like so many players on Green Bay’s roster bubble, McCord will have to wait and find out if his best was good enough.

“Whatever happens is up to God. We’ll see,” he said. “It’s out of my control at this point. I did everything that I could have to make a case for myself and so now we just wait and see.”

The Packers must cut their 91-player roster to the 53-player limit by 5 p.m. (Central) today. They made one roster move yesterday. Here's an early preview, which will be updated throughout the day. ⬇️https://t.co/SpL051pB31
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 30, 2026

Here are our Packers roster projections.

From me: https://t.co/Q2a34M512O

From @JacobWestendorf: https://t.co/1tRpbeXD88
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 29, 2026

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