Kyle McCord is on track to get his first NFL start next Sunday, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting that the former Syracuse quarterback is set to take the field for Miami against the Indianapolis Colts.
The Dolphins opened the door by placing starting quarterback Malik Willis on injured reserve because of a groin injury. Miami also passed on bringing in another quarterback before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. trade deadline, which leaves McCord in line to handle the job.
McCord has not played in a regular-season game since entering the league in 2025. Before that, he spent one season at Syracuse and put his name in the ACC record book by setting the conference’s single-season passing yards mark.
That Syracuse team threw the ball better than anyone in the country, led the nation in passing yards and finished 9-3 in the regular season. The Orange then beat Washington State in the Holiday Bowl to secure their first 10-win season since 2018.
Syracuse, though, went 3-9 in 2025 without McCord and is now trying to get back to bowl eligibility in 2026.
McCord was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but his pro career has been mostly preseason work so far. He has appeared in six preseason games and completed only 42.9% of his passes as a rookie.
His latest preseason stop came with the Green Bay Packers in 2026, where he completed 65.7% of his throws for 446 yards and four touchdowns before Miami traded for him to back up Willis.
Now the former Syracuse quarterback is set for his regular-season debut against a Colts defense that ranks 28th in the league in total defense and 30th in scoring defense.
NFL rules require Willis to miss at least four games. For now, McCord’s only competition for the starting role is Brady Cook, who went undrafted in the same class as McCord.
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