Kyle McCord threw four touchdown passes, led the Packers to points on seven of 11 possessions, and didn't turn the ball over. He also isn't getting the backup job. The final 2026 53-man roster prediction has McCord as QB3, behind Tyrod Taylor, and the only real debate is whether he makes the active roster or the practice squad. Yes, really.
That reads like a snub until you check the context. McCord's big preseason finale came against the Cardinals' third-string defense in the final week of exhibition play. Two of his touchdowns arrived in the last 3:19 of the game, when the field was full of players who won't be on an NFL roster come September. Production against future baristas is production, but it's also noise. The Packers saw enough from McCord to keep him in the building, not enough to trust him with a clipboard on Sundays.
Tyrod Taylor is the backup for a reason. He has started real NFL games, he has scrambled for first downs in actual fourth quarters, and he doesn't need the preseason to prove he knows what a blitz looks like. McCord looked like a talented young arm with a quick release and zero hesitation. He also looked like a guy who was reading college-level coverages. The gap between a strong preseason and a functional NFL backup is enormous, and the Packers are pricing that gap correctly.
The clearest signal came before this game. Acme Packing Company noted earlier in August that with Sean Clifford out of the picture, the Packers cleared the runway for McCord as QB3, likely as a practice squad stash. A four-touchdown finale doesn't rewrite that plan. It might convince another team to claim him off waivers if Green Bay tries to sneak him through, and that's the real risk. But the Packers seem willing to take it.
What does McCord's night actually change? Nothing about the depth chart. It changes his trade value from zero to maybe a seventh-round pick, and it gives the front office a reason to feel good about a developmental piece. That's it.
The popular take is that McCord deserves the No. 2 job after that performance. The smarter take is that the Packers are running their quarterback room exactly the way a contender should: experienced backup, raw third arm, and no overreaction to August fireworks. Keep McCord as QB3, keep Taylor as the insurance, and let McCord keep developing against air until he shows something that carries over to games that count.
That's my verdict. If McCord is on the active roster come Week 1, the Packers are either higher on him than they've let on or terrified of losing him. Either way, it's the right call to keep him third.