Syracuse Professional Athletes

Kyle McCord Finds His NFL Home — and Rewrites Syracuse History Along the Way

Roster cutdown day delivered the biggest Syracuse alumni news of the week: Kyle McCord is a Miami Dolphin.

The Dolphins acquired the former Orange quarterback from the Green Bay Packers on NFL roster cutdown day, sending a 2028 sixth-round pick to Green Bay in exchange. Miami had just traded backup Quinn Ewers to the Jacksonville Jaguars and released both Cam Miller and Mark Gronowski, leaving the QB room thin behind starter Malik Willis. McCord filled that void almost immediately.

The move capped a strong preseason for McCord in Green Bay — where he threw four touchdown passes in the Packers' preseason finale — but it was his college résumé that drew fresh attention this week. According to Heavy Sports, McCord's statistical production at Syracuse surpassed even Donovan McNabb's marks in the Orange record books. McNabb remains the unquestioned legend of Syracuse football, but McCord — who passed through Ohio State before landing in upstate New York — put up numbers that eclipsed the Pro Football Hall of Famer's collegiate totals. For an alumni base that reveres McNabb, that's not a footnote; it's a headline.

McCord addressed Miami media for the first time Wednesday, expressing confidence he could get up to speed quickly in his new offense, per Sports Illustrated. Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley had signaled the team was likely to carry two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, and McCord slots in as that second man.

LeQuint Allen Faces a Crowded Jacksonville Backfield

While McCord's story dominated the week, Syracuse running back LeQuint Allen is navigating his own challenge in Jacksonville. The Jaguars' backfield is a logjam heading into Week 1, with Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez also competing for carries, according to Heavy Sports. Allen made the 53-man roster, but the workload breakdown remains genuinely uncertain — a situation worth monitoring as the regular season kicks off.

Around the Rest of the Alumni Map

Elsewhere, Ifeatu Melifonwu landed on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' practice squad after the safety was among 16 players signed by Tampa following cutdowns, per Yahoo Sports. Melifonwu, a former first-round pick, stays in the league on the practice squad bubble.

Zaire Franklin, the veteran linebacker who spent time with the Colts before joining Green Bay, remained with the Packers — a roster that was busy on cutdown day, moving McCord out while addressing other positional needs via trade.

The McCord trade is the story of the week for Orange Nation. A former Syracuse signal-caller — one who quietly rewrote the program's passing records — has secured an NFL roster spot and a legitimate opportunity to develop behind a starting quarterback in a warm-weather market. For a Syracuse program still building its modern football identity, having McCord in a Dolphins uniform is exactly the kind of visibility alumni have been waiting for.

Kyle McCord Put on a Show. Now What?

Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord may have played himself into a headache for the Green Bay Packers front office — or at least forced a real conversation where there might not have been one before.

In the Packers' preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals, McCord was nothing short of electric. He threw for 226 yards, four touchdowns, and posted a 119.5 passer rating, capping his night by engineering a fourth-quarter comeback in a wild 42-38 Green Bay victory. It was the kind of performance that gets highlight reels made and depth charts reconsidered.

The problem — if you can call it that — is what comes next.

Despite the four-score outing, early roster projections from Yahoo Sports suggest the Packers still view McCord as their QB3, not QB2. The backup quarterback battle has been framed all preseason as Tyrod Taylor's job to lose, and one brilliant preseason finale may not be enough to upend the veteran's incumbency. Taylor brings experience and a known commodity to a team that runs through Jordan Love; McCord brings upside and, now, a legitimate case.

The debate has been loud enough to merit multiple rounds of takes: arguments for McCord center on his arm talent, his clutch performance under pressure, and his youth. Arguments for Taylor lean on veteran steadiness and a lower bust risk for a team with genuine Super Bowl aspirations. Love, for his part, served as the play caller from the sideline in the second half of the finale — a sign the Packers aren't risking their franchise quarterback in August exhibitions. That puts even more weight on what the backups did, and McCord used every snap to make his case.

The roster cutdown deadline will render the verdict soon. But McCord's preseason has unambiguously changed the tenor of that decision.

Elsewhere in Orange Nation

McCord wasn't the only Syracuse alum drawing attention this week. In Los Angeles, linebacker Marlowe Wax earned recognition from Pro Football Focus following the Chargers' preseason matchup against the 49ers, where he was cited among the standout performers. Wax's strong showing adds to what has been a competitive camp for a Chargers defense looking to take a step forward in 2026.

Over in New York, safety Andre Cisco is locked in a legitimate starting job competition with the Jets. Cisco has been vocal about staying focused on the team's broader goals rather than fixating on the individual battle with Dane Belton for the starting safety spot. His experience and versatility in the secondary make him a live candidate to win the role outright when final rosters are set.

Three Syracuse alumni — McCord, Wax, and Cisco — all with something real to play for as the regular season approaches. For a program that has worked to rebuild its NFL pipeline, the week offered a useful reminder that the Orange continues to produce players who matter when it counts.

McCord's four-touchdown night is the headliner. But the depth of Syracuse's presence across NFL rosters this preseason is worth noting in its own right.