Dolphins acquire Kyle McCord from Packers in swap of sixth-round picks to fill backup quarterback role

Key facts

Dolphins acquired QB Kyle McCord from Packers on Sunday in exchange for a 2028 sixth-round pick
McCord, 23, will back up starter Malik Willis, who signed a three-year, $67.5 million deal in free agency
McCord was a sixth-round pick by Philadelphia in 2025, spent his rookie season on Eagles practice squad
He transferred from Ohio State to Syracuse for 2024 season, led NCAA in passing yards and earned second-team All-ACC
Dolphins sent the same pick they received in Saturday’s Quinn Ewers trade to Jacksonville; also waived QB Cam Miller
McCord completed Green Bay preseason with four touchdown passes and no interceptions against Arizona Cardinals

The trade

The Miami Dolphins acquired quarterback Kyle McCord from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a 2028 sixth-round draft pick. The move came on Sunday as part of a broader reshuffling of the quarterback room. Notably, the Dolphins sent Green Bay the exact same sixth-round pick they had acquired a day earlier when trading Quinn Ewers to the Jacksonville Jaguars, effectively making a straight swap of draft capital.

The new backup

McCord, 23, will serve as the primary backup to Malik Willis, who is the Dolphins’ starting quarterback on a three-year, $67.5 million deal signed in free agency. The arrival of McCord came after the Dolphins waived quarterback Cam Miller on Sunday. McCord’s addition represents a familiarity hire: passing game coordinator Kevin Patullo worked with McCord during the 2025 season when Patullo was the offensive coordinator in Philadelphia. Additionally, both Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley previously worked in Green Bay, where McCord spent the preseason and signed a reserve/futures contract in January.

McCord’s background

McCord was originally selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Syracuse University. He spent his entire rookie season on the Eagles’ practice squad before signing with Green Bay in January. At Syracuse, McCord transferred from Ohio State and had an impressive 2024 campaign, leading the NCAA in passing yards and earning second-team All-ACC honors.

Preseason performance

McCord completed a strong preseason with Green Bay, taking the field for the entire preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals on August 28. He threw four touchdown passes without an interception, capping the performance with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Kisean Johnson in the closing seconds of Green Bay’s 42-38 comeback victory. Packers coach Matt LaFleur praised McCord’s poise and pocket movement after the game, noting his ability to operate under pressure. In an earlier preseason game against Pittsburgh, McCord impressed enough to help separate himself from other backup candidates and contributed to the Packers’ decision to release Kyron Drones.

Green Bay’s decision

With Jordan Love as the established starter and veteran Tyrod Taylor on a one-year, $2.5 million deal as the clear second option, the Packers determined they did not need to carry three quarterbacks into the regular season. Rather than risk losing McCord to another team without compensation, Green Bay converted his strong preseason into future draft capital.

Sources

Featured photo: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jason R. Zalasky via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)