Story by
Packers QB Likely Cements Backup Job With Recent Roster Move
- Story by
- Packers QB Likely Cements Backup Job With Recent Roster Move
The Green Bay Packers are rounding out their roster as the NFL offseason progresses and have begun making cuts to trim the lineup. In the quarterback room, the team parted ways with undrafted free agent signal-caller Kyron Drones last week, whom they brought in back in April.
The team reached the decision following last week's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the opening week of preseason action. Drones struggled mightily in limited action, throwing an incompletion on his lone pass attempt and taking three sacks for a loss of 26 yards.
Advertisement
Green Bay brought Drones in to compete for the QB3 job against second-year quarterback Kyle McCord , who had an impressive showing in the preseason opener. Drones, a three-year starter at Virginia Tech , will look for his next NFL opportunity while McCord eyes his next step up the depth chart.
McCord took most of the snaps under center among the Packers' quarterbacks against Pittsburgh and flashed enough to cement his case as the third-string quarterback for the 2026 season behind Jordan Love and Tyrod Taylor .
Advertisement
The Syracuse product signed with the team following his release from the Philadelphia Eagles in January, making the most of his opportunity for the QB3 job thus far during an encouraging offseason.
Kyle McCord Takes Command Of Packers' QB Job With Preseason Flashes
Aug 13, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Drew Allar (16) greets Green Bay Packers quarterback Kyle McCord (18) following their game at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
McCord has shown tremendous flashes during training camp, positioning himself to take on the majority of the reps during the preseason opener. He completed 12 of his 16 pass attempts for 102 yards with a passer rating of 91.1. McCord added three carries for 10 yards on the ground to round out a solid performance.
Advertisement
He'll command the majority of the volume in Green Bay's quarterback room throughout the remainder of the preseason following Drones' release, setting himself up to make a run at the backup job. The Packers are slated to take on the Denver Broncos on Friday night, where McCord will have another opportunity to build on his strong offseason showing.
The 23-year-old signal-caller showed significant growth in his final collegiate season, and has carried this trend of development into his young NFL career. If he can continue to exceed expectations, he could emerge as the team's long-term option at backup quarterback.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Aug 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
