Grading the Trade: Packers make a questionable quarterback call that could do more harm than good in the near future
Green Bay sent quarterback Kyle McCord to the Miami Dolphins for a future sixth-round pick.
The Green Bay Packers’ backup quarterback competition is over, and Tyrod Taylor has won it. But instead of waiving third-string QB Kyle McCord, who was impressive during the preseason, with the hopes of getting him back on the practice squad, the Packers traded him to the Miami Dolphins for a 2028 sixth-round pick.
Why the Packers pulled the trigger
Kyle McCord was materially better than Tyrod Taylor in the preseason. The second-year quarterback, a former sixth-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025, played 79 preseason dropbacks. He had a 102.4 passer rating, a 5.4% big-time throw rate, and a 1.2% turnover-worthy play rate.
With that on tape, it was always going to be hard for McCord to go unclaimed on waivers. General manager Brian Gutekunst wasn’t willing to keep three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. So instead of exposing McCord to waivers, Gutekunst went to his old friend Jon-Eric Sullivan to get some compensation.
Why it’s risky for Green Bay
The big problem for the Packers is that Tyrod wasn’t very good for the New York Jets last year. To make things worse, his performance in the preseason was also underwhelming. The veteran had a 77.1 passer rating, with no big-time throws or turnover-worthy plays.
The idea behind the decision is to keep a veteran, experienced quarterback under Jordan Love. But the Packers should be back in the quarterback market a year from now, while McCord would give them more long-term flexibility.
Now, the front office will look at options on the market to add a third-string quarterback to the practice squad. Over the past few months, the Packers released Desmond Ridder and waived undrafted rookie Kyron Drones.
Getting a sixth-rounder is not nothing. But it’s probably not worth the risk of having bad quarterback play, whether it’s this year or in the future.
Grade: C-
