The Green Bay Packers signed former Eagles sixth-rounder Kyle McCord to a futures contract back in January. The move provided depth to a quarterback room featuring Desmond Ridder as its only backup with the expected free-agency departure of Malik Willis. A lot has changed since then.
The Packers signed Tyrod Taylor, a 15-year veteran and the default QB2, to replace Willis. They also added undrafted free agent Kyron Drones, a dual-threat weapon out of Virginia Tech.
While the latter was the quieter move, a barely-noticed drop in the bucket of NFL transactions, it may be the one that forces McCord off the roster. The Packers won't carry three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster - at least, that is highly unlikely - and Drones is a better fit for the practice-squad spot. His skill set more closely aligns with organizational preferences.Â
Perhaps it's too early to tell, but it feels almost too obvious that McCord is the odd man out.Â
Kyle McCord doesn't fit Packers' typical preferencesÂ
The Packers like their backup quarterbacks to have some athleticism. Willis was a prime example of that, one they replicated by signing Taylor. Even at 36, he still has wheels.Â
Even Ridder tested extremely well coming out of Cincinnati in 2022. And Drones made great use of his legs in college, rushing for over 1,800 yards in his career. His 9.58 Relative Athletic Score ranks in the 95th percentile at the position.Â
McCord, on the other hand, is a traditional pocket passer. He put up big numbers through the air as a Syracuse senior, leading the FBS in passing yards, but his career rushing total sits at minus-142. Because McCord did not participate in athletic testing, he did not receive an RAS mark. NFL.com awarded him an estimated athletic score of 57, well below average.Â
The Packers take those numbers seriously, especially when it comes to evaluating backup quarterbacks. For that reason, it was somewhat surprising to see McCord signed in the first place. With Willis heading out the door, the QB room was desperate for depth of any kind.Â
While the primary backup role is Taylor's to lose, Drones should be next in line. Playing on a one-year, $2.5 million contract, Taylor might not spend another season in Green Bay. Tagging Drones as his replacement would come naturally.Â
He just has to show the Packers enough so that they can shut him down early in the preseason and stash him in relative secret on the practice squad. Other teams will come calling if they get a glimpse of Drones' elite athleticism combined with a capable-looking arm.Â
There's nothing secret about McCord's likely future with the Packers. In theory, they could park both him and Drones on the practice squad, but that seems like a wasted spot. In any case, if Drones is in his way, McCord won't have much of a path to climb the organizational ranks. It will be up to him to rewrite that narrative by winning the QB3 competition in training camp.Â
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