The competition between rookie Kyle McCord and third-year vet Dorian Thompson-Robinson for the Philadelphia Eagles QB3 job has quietly become one of the more intriguing roster battles of training camp.
Both players bring contrasting skill sets—McCord is a more polished pocket passer, while DTR has more mobility and NFL experience—and so far, their performances in practice and the preseason are painting a clearer picture of the depth chart. With Jalen Hurts and Tanner McKee entrenched as QB1 and QB2, the Eagles have to decide whether to keep a promising rookie in need of development or a more experienced reserve who has struggled in the past but is looking better in their system.
In his latest 53-man roster projection, Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation has the Eagles cutting McCord and keeping Thompson-Robinson.
“The DTR vs. Kyle McCord decision is interesting,” he wrote on August 12. “The former is a better option to play this season as an emergency third quarterback. The latter might have more long-term upside and is under team control for longer. The feeling here is that McCord isn’t going to be some hot commodity on waivers, though. Is a team really going to be willing to open up a roster spot to claim him? If I’m the Eagles, I stick with DTR.”
A Closer Look at the Eagles QB3 Competition
GettyQuarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson is leading the Philadelphia Eagles’ QB3 competition right now, with Kyle McCord a projected cut candidate.
With the team’s first preseason game in the books, it’s fair to say Philadelphia’s QB3 battle has tilted toward Thompson-Robinson. In the opener vs. Cincinnati, DTR looked comfortable, going 5-of-8 for 56 yards with no TDs or turnovers. McCord’s brief stint produced just 8 passing yards and an interception, a snapshot that also mirrors their camp performances to date.
Thompson-Robinson has appeared in 15 NFL games, starting five over the 2023–24 seasons. DTR is mobile, whereas McCord, who plays well in the pocket, doesn’t have the escapability DTR has. Thus, it certainly appears that DTR is the more NFL-ready of the two right now.
Thompson-Robinson’s track record isn’t great, but he was in Cleveland, where very few QBs have ever succeeded. A 2023 fifth-round pick by the Browns, he has gone 121-230 passing (52.6%), throwing for 880 yards, 1 TD and 10 INT. That high TD-to-INT ratio is far from ideal, but he has shown improvement working with QBs coach Scot Loeffler.
“I feel like I’m settling in well, scheme, teammates, coaches, being around the building, getting to know the city, I feel like I’ve adjusted well,” DTR said, via Eagles Wire. “The Eagles are such a great organization. It’s a lot easier, instead of going the opposite way (to a losing team). I feel like everyone has uplifted me, and helped me along, tried to get me up to speed as fast as possible.”
Kyle McCord Should Be Practice Squad Addition for Eagles if He Gets Cut
McCord offers the higher ceiling long term, which is why he’ll likely land on the practice squad if he doesn’t make the roster.
McCord’s college résumé is legit. After a solid 2023 at Ohio State (3,170 yards, 24 TD, 6 INT), he transferred to Syracuse and detonated the ACC record book in 2024: 4,779 passing yards (ACC single-season record and FBS leader), 34 TD, 66% completions, Holiday Bowl MVP with 453 yards and five TDs and a top-10 Heisman finish. Those numbers came with real high-variance flashes (including a five-INT outlier vs. Pitt), but the total body of work explains why Philadelphia spent a sixth-rounder on him this April.
It’s a decision that will likely come down to execution in the next two preseason games, as well as how the front office values short-term readiness against long-term upside. Regardless, the Eagles have oodles of talent at the QB position, and it’ll be interesting to watch the rest of this competition play out.
