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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kyle McCord.
In the case of the Philadelphia Eagles and their backup quarterbacks, the writing has been on the wall for what seems like awhile now when it comes to rookie Kyle McCord. He just needed to go out and grab the job as QB3.
Conversely, Dorian Thompson-Robinson was going to have to significantly outplay McCord to achieve the same thing.
After Philadelphia’s 22-13 preseason loss to the Cleveland Browns on August 16, McCord finally seems to have taken the inside track for the job and bounce Thompson-Robinson to the waiver wire.
McCord was 8-of-16 passing for 47 yards, 1 touchdown and no interceptions while Thompson-Robinson was 5-of-8 passing for 17 yards, no touchdowns and 1 interception.
“I think it’s fair to say over the first couple weeks of the summer, Thompson-Robinson was outplaying McCord a little bit and getting a few more reps,” Host Bo Wulf said on the PHLY Eagles Podcast on August 17. “I’m not so sure that was the case (against the Browns). I did think Kyle McCord looked a little bit more composed in the offense … and I think the more important thing is that Dorian Thompson-Robinson was going to really have to outplay Kyle McCord to get this job, given McCord is a draft pick and you get four years of team control versus Thompson-Robinson, who only has 2 years left on his rookie contract.”
Draft Brings Sixth Round QB Twice in 3 Years
ESPN predicted McCord would battle with Thompson-Robinson for the third emergency quarterback spot on the roster way back in May, with last year’s third quarterback, Tanner McKee, taking over the backup role to Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts.
“McCord will likely start out competing for the No. 3 role with Thompson-Robinson, who arrived in a trade with the Browns in March,” ESPN’s Tim McManus wrote on May 15. “McKee, a 2023 sixth-round pick out of Stanford, has maximized his limited opportunities and earned the No. 2 role behind Hurts. McCord will have a chance to develop behind the scenes as part of a quality QB room.”
McCord, 6-foot-3 and 218 pounds, was a sixth round pick (No. 181 overall) in the 2025 NFL draft out of Syracuse, where he was an All-ACC pick in 2024 after earning All-Big Ten honors as Ohio State’s starting quarterback in 2023.
It was the second time in 3 years the Eagles picked a quarterback in the sixth round. McKee was also a sixth round pick (No. 188 overall) in the 2023 NFL draft out of Stanford.
Eagles Swapped Former First Round Pick for DTR
Thompson-Robinson started 5 games for the Cleveland Browns over the last 2 seasons and was obtained in a trade that sent last season’s backup quarterback, Kenny Pickett, to the Browns in exchange for DTR and a 2025 fifth round pick.
Pickett was a first round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2022 NFL draft and was their full time starter for 2 seasons before he was traded to the Eagles, where he won his one start while Hurts was injured in 2024.
“Nothing lasts forever in the NFL, but Pickett and Thompson-Robinson have to be telling themselves that one season would be nice,” Eagles Wire’s Geoffrey A. Knox wrote on June 12. “The former is suffering from ‘Shedeur Sanders envy‘ … The latter seemingly lost his job to Kyle McCord before either played a snap.
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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