The Green Bay Packers selected quarterback Kyle McCord in last year’s sixth round, but his tenure with the team might last just a single season despite the franchise’s decision to utilize a draft asset to acquire him.
Responding to a mailbag question on Monday, July 6, Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated predicted that Kyron Drones, an undrafted rookie free agent out of Virginia Tech in 2026, will ultimately secure the QB3 position in Green Bay and occupy a spot on the practice squad to begin the regular season.
That, in turn, will result in McCord parting ways with the franchise.
“I’m thinking Kyron Drones will beat out Kyle McCord,” Huber wrote. “The Packers fell in love with Malik Willis’ skill-set. They see the same tools in Drones. He’ll have to earn his way, obviously, but Drones’ athletic ability and arm strength are appealing.”
McCord, who turns 24 years old in September, has yet to take a regular-season NFL snap.
Kyle McCord Doesn’t Fit Packers’ Preferred Backup QB Build
GettyQuarterback Kyle McCord of the Green Bay Packers.
McCord was a curious pick for the Packers from the beginning, which ESPN’s Ben Solak noted when offering up Green Bay as top potential suitors for Brendan Sorsby in the supplemental draft that the league subsequently cancelled.
“In that Sorsby reminds me of Willis, I am unsurprisingly interested in his potential with [head coach Matt] LaFleur in Green Bay,” Solak wrote on June 17. “The Packers’ current QB2 is Tyrod Taylor, whom they signed after the 2026 draft.”
“The QB3 is Kyle McCord, who doesn’t at all fit the mold of a Packers backup quarterback; they’ve typically prioritized athletes, such as Willis and Taylor, at that spot,” Solak continued. “Sorsby would likely beat out McCord for the QB3 role and be first in line for QB2 after Taylor’s one-year deal expires in 2027.”
Green Bay rectified their lack of a rookie QB acquisition by adding Drones after the draft on a three-year deal worth $3.1 million that includes almost no guaranteed money.
Drones finished his collegiate career with 5,785 passing yards, 45 TDs and 19 INTs across 41 games played over five seasons (two at Baylor, three at Virginia Tech). He added 1,847 rushing yards and 22 scores on the ground.
Tyrod Taylor, Kyron Drones Make Sense as QB Depth Behind Jordan Love
GettyFormer Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis.
A combination of Taylor and Drones behind starter Jordan Love makes empirical sense for the Packers in 2026 after losing Willis to a starting opportunity with the Miami Dolphins in free agency.
Taylor turns 37 years old next month and is playing on a one-year deal in Green Bay, which represents his 16th season in the league.
Should Drones best McCord in training camp and through the preseason, he will get a full year to learn with essentially zero pressure before the Packers revisit the QB room next offseason.
It would not be a surprise if the team moves on from Taylor at that point, potentially elevating Drones into the QB2 role should he impress and improve enough along the way.
Packers Projected to Cut QB in Favor of Rookie Kyron Drones