There has been a bit of musical chairs at quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles prompting one former touted signal-caller to be looking for a new home. The Eagles surprisingly traded for Sam Howell on August 24, 2025, creating ripple effects on the roster.
Philly landed Howell essentially for a 2027 seventh-round pick and a 2026 late-round pick swap. NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports that the Eagles are releasing Kyle McCord just one day after the Howell trade created a crowded quarterback depth chart.
The Eagles are releasing rookie QB Kyle McCord, per a league source,” Schultz noted in an August 25, message on X. “The 6th-round pick out of Syracuse had a good training camp, but Philly already has 3 QBs on its roster.”
McCord was a sixth-round pick this year and led FBS in passing yards in 2024.
Here’s what you need to know about the latest Eagles‘ quarterback moves.
The Eagles Could Look to Re-Sign Kyle McCord But Another NFL Team Can Claim the QB on Waivers
The one Eagles quarterback who is not going anywhere is franchise signal-caller Jalen Hurts. Yet, the Eagles are revamping the quarterback room surrounding Hurts.
Despite the Howell trade, Tanner McKee remains the favorite to be the backup quarterback. The Eagles could still re-sign McCord to the team’s practice squad, but Philadelphia may not have this luxury. It would not be a surprise if an opposing team scooped up McCord on waivers.
“If Howie is confident McCord is getting back on the practice squad than cutting him doesn’t matter much — he’ll still be in the building,” 94WIP.com’s Eliot Shorr-Parks detailed in an August 25, X post. “But if McCord is claimed or leaves this would be a dissapointing result to have given up on McCord so quickly.”
The Eagles Cut Kyle McCord Just Months After Drafting the Former 37-TD Quarterback
The news comes just months after the Eagles selected the 6-foot-3, 218-pound quarterback in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL draft. After three seasons at Ohio State, McCord is coming of a career year at Syracuse.
McCord threw for 4,779 yards, 34 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 13 appearances in 2024. The quarterback also posted three rushing touchdowns as well.
Philly cut ties with McCord before the rookie could play a regular-season snap for the Eagles, an unlikely possibility given Hurts’ presence on the roster. Heading into the draft, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared McCord to former No. 2 pick Mitch Trubisky.
“Pocket passer with good size who played in a high-volume, pro-passing scheme that should give him a head start as a pro,” Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft profile of the quarterback. “McCord was too inconsistent at Ohio State, relative to the talent around him, but he proved to be confident and productive last season at Syracuse without that same level of supporting talent.
“His fundamentals are usually solid and he plays with adequate poise in the face of pressure. He has enough arm to make window throws and push the ball around the field. McCord seeks to attack coverages vertically instead of operating as a ‘Checkdown Charlie.'”
New Eagles QB Sam Howell Is Now on His 4th NFL Team in the Last 3 Years
It has been a busy offseason for Howell as well. The newest Eagles quarterback was traded by the Minnesota Vikings before ever playing for the NFC North squad.
Minnesota acquired Howell in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks during the 2025 NFL draft. Howell is now on his fourth NFL team in three years after previous stints with the Vikings, Seahawks and Washington Commanders.
Eagles Cut Ties With 6-Foot-3 Former 37-TD QB Just 1 Day After Surprise Trade