Kyle McCord is the Miami Dolphins‘ new starting quarterback, at least for now.
The Dolphins placed Malik Willis on injured reserve, meaning he has to miss a minimum of four games. McCord goes from backup to starter, beginning in Week 10 on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.
McCord isn’t necessarily a well-known name in the NFL, but to those that follow college football closely, he’s quite relevant.
He began his starting tenure in college football at Ohio State for the powerhouse Buckeyes, but he was nudged out before his last season and ended up at Syracuse. For the Orange, McCord set just about every imaginable single-season passing record.
McCord was then a late-round pick by the Eagles, released pretty quickly and signed by the Packers, before the Dolphins’ front office of ex-Packers folks made sure to get McCord onto the Miami roster for this season.
This Sunday, McCord will step in, and the most interesting aspect of this is how drastically it could change the Dolphins’ offense.
For receivers Caleb Douglas, Chris Bell and Malik Washington, as well as tight end Greg Dulcich, the impact could be fascinating.
Kyle McCord’s Impact on Caleb Douglas, Malik Washington
Don’t be surprised if McCord unlocks new elements to Miami’s passing game.
The reality is that Willis is a mobile, happy-to-run quarterback. McCord is much more of a pocket passer.
And it was clear during McCord’s college career that he can spin it. He isn’t afraid to let it fly.
If Miami wants, the offense can be pass-heavier with McCord at the helm.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see more targets for Douglas and Washington with McCord playing QB, as long as the offense can move the ball in general and stay on the field.
Ideal First Matchup
There’s one other thing to note here heading into Week 10 specifically: The Dolphins are playing the Colts, who just sold off a bunch of players before the trade deadline.
Indianapolis will feel like there’s truly nothing to play for. The vibes were already bad with the Colts, and they might be worse now.
McCord will go against a questionable secondary (aside from Sauce Gardner), and there will be opportunities out there on the field.
Given McCord’s track record as a passer, he might just take advantage of the openings given by the defense. It wouldn’t be a shock if the Dolphins put up a bunch of passing yards and points on Sunday.
Dolphins’ Kyle McCord Decision Potential Good News for Caleb Douglas, Malik Washington