Tyrod Taylor vs. Kyle McCord: The Case for Each Packers QB

Posted by Admin August 25, 2026 NFL

As we march towards the Green Bay Packers‘ final preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals, all (some) eyes will be on the battle for the backup QB spot, which is being fought by veteran Tyrod Taylor and second-year player Kyle McCord. With starter Jordan Love missing some time in each of the previous two seasons, the chance of the Packers QB2 seeing meaningful game action in 2026 is not zero. Today we’re going to look at the case for both QBs, and will cover the case against them later this week.

The Case for Tyrod Taylor

At 37 years old, Tyrod Taylor is the oldest player on the Packers roster, as well as the most experienced (16 years), both by a significant margin. Taylor has seen playing time in 101 regular-season and playoff games, starting 63 of them. For context, Jordan Love has played in 57 career NFL games. A veteran presence carries weight here—not only are you getting a guy with nearly two decades of NFL experience, but it’s almost like there’s an extra coach on offense.

Through two preseason games so far, Taylor is 8/16 for 38 yards and 1 TD. Now—no sane person wants the Packers’ backup to see significant playing time this year. So if we’re trying to make the case for Taylor, maybe those numbers are fake! Preseason matters when I say it does, and right now, I’m saying preseason is fake.

The Case for Kyle McCord

The Packers have a QB room comprised of someone born in the ’80s, someone born in the ’90s, and someone born in the ’00s, and I think that’s neat. At just 23 years old, Kyle McCord has seen zero NFL action outside of preseason, after spending time on the practice squad of the Philadelphia Eagles last year. He’s raw, but Matt LaFleur can fix him, right? After all, Jordan Love has morphed into a top 10 (argue with your mother) quarterback in the league. LaFleur can help develop another! McCord is also playing significantly better than Taylor so far this preseason, with 24 completions on 35 attempts for 220 yards. Preseason matters when I say it does, and right now, I’m saying preseason matters.

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