Matt LaFleur made it clear that he only needed one preseason game to call off the Green Bay Packers‘ competition for a third quarterback. The Packers releasing quarterback Kyron Drones was directly due to him losing the competition and being the fourth quarterback.
Now, the team is putting all of the snaps into seeing what Kyle McCord can do as the third-string.
“That’s exactly it,” LaFleur said of cutting Drones to get McCord more work. “I thought Kyle went in there and did a nice job. As you know, there are limited reps in every practice, and it’s truly hard to get four guys prepared to play football.”
McCord was 12-for-16 in the Packers’ preseason opening loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He had 102 yards, and while he was sacked twice, he also added three rushes for ten yards. Meanwhile, Drones did not complete a pass on four dropbacks. He was sacked three times, showing he was a bit overwhelmed.
Green Bay Packers Third Quarterback Job Has Been Won
GettyJordan Love #10 of the Green Bay Packers talks with Tyrod Taylor #6 and Kyle McCord #18
This should put to bed any rumors that the Packers will be seeking a fourth quarterback with the additional roster spot. The team is focused on the three quarterbacks they have and moving forward into the regular season with them.
However, after the success that the team had in turning around the career of Malik Willis, it is going to be easy for names to get thrown around in connection with the Packers. Anthony Richardson and possibly J.J. McCarthy will now start to come up as names who can take the Willis path of sitting in Green Bay and then finding a chance to start later.
While Tyrod Taylor was once on that path in Baltimore, he is now at the age where he is satisfied with being a backup and knows his role. This can be helpful for Love, but right now, the quarterback they are developing is McCord.
Packers Showing Confidence in McCord
McCord was a sixth-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2025 NFL Draft. He transferred from Ohio State to Syracuse in his college career.
McCord went 24-for-56 with one touchdown and two interceptions for the Eagles in the preseason. It was not a strong performance, and teams were not interested in adding him.
He spent his rookie year on the Eagles’ practice squad, but the Packers signed him to their roster late in the year. After spending the offseason with Green Bay, he has taken hold of the number three job.
Taylor is only signed for one more season. So, the plan for the Packers is likely to keep McCord as the emergency number three. He can get a season of practice reps. Then, they can let Taylor walk this offseason, and they will have McCord as a cost-effective backup who is experienced in their system.
The Packers could entertain bringing someone in to compete with McCord next year. However, it looks like these are the three they will roll into the season with this year.
Matt LaFleur Reveals One Packers Position Battle Is Over