The Miami Dolphins just made life a little easier for their new backup quarterback
The Miami Dolphins’ new backup quarterback will surely be thrilled to see a familiar face on the practice field.
The Miami Dolphins‘ efforts to fill up their roster spaces appears to be complete. There are now 53 players committed to the active roster, plus a full boat of practice squad players ready to get the call up in a moment’s notice.
Perhaps no room got a bigger shakeup than the quarterback position — where Miami has stripped down everything behind Malik Willis and installed Brady Cook (waivers) and Kyle McCord (trade). McCord, per head coach Jeff Hafley on Tuesday, is expected to be the backup. And the sudden transition from Green Bay to South Florida will be a little easier for Miami’s new backup. Because one of his favorite targets from last month in Green Bay is officially joining him in Miami.
The Miami Dolphins added one of new backup QB Kyle McCord’s safety blankets from this preseason in Green Bay
Wide receiver Will Sheppard is among Tuesday’s additions to the practice squad. The former Colorado Buffaloes and Vanderbilt Commodores pass catcher was an All-SEC selection in 2022. At 6-foot-3, 196 pounds, Sheppard is a big bodied receiver who went undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft. Sheppard landed with the Green Bay Packers (surprise!) last July and spent the year with Green Bay.
He stuck with the Packers this offseason as well, and in the process became a favorite target for McCord. With McCord at quarterback, Sheppard was targeted on 22% of his routes in the 2026 preseason — catching 9 of his 12 targets and logging a touchdown. The two clearly had a chemistry between them. And now, the duo can work to build that relationship even further in Miami.
That is, of course, assuming Sheppard holds his spot on Miami’s practice squad this season. But either way, joining a new team can be hard. And a familiar, friendly face can only help. McCord will have Sheppard — just as he did all last month on the field for the Packers.
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