One preseason game isn't enough to deter Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni from praising one of his rookies.
The Eagles are coming off a 34-27 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the preseason, which featured some of the highest highs and lowest lows in quarterback play. After Tanner McKee slung it for 252 yards and three touchdowns, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and rookie sixth-round pick Kyle McCord got to play most of the second half with mixed results.
Thompson-Robinson finished completing five of eight passes for 56 yards, an average day for the veteran. McCord, on the other hand, struggled, completing just one of his five passes for eight yards and an interception.
It was just one game, and there's no reason to overreact to it, but it appears Thompson-Robinson has the advantage in the QB3 job. That won't stop Sirianni from complementing his rookie.
Sirianni still giving high praise to McCord's play in practice
Just before the Eagles' open practice on Sunday, Sirianni spoke with the media and was asked about his evaluation of McCord. While Sirianni admitted to trying to find creative ways to give McCord and Thompson-Robinson more reps in and out of practice, Sirianni still believes McCord is making the most of his opportunities.
"When we're in practice, Kyle does a very good job of knowing where to go with the football quickly and delivering an accurate throws. I think that's something that he excels at his mind of how he processes through it and his ability to be accurate. You just want to continue to just put him in as many situations and reps as you can when reps aren't always available."
Head Coach Nick Sirianni speaks with the media. #FlyEaglesFly https://t.co/BK2Pdkhrlp
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 10, 2025
There are still two more preseason games for McCord to bounce back and prove he should be the third string at quarterback. He will most likely get more reps in the final preseason game against the New York Jets, with starters resting in that game.
McCord and DTR both have different styles of play, with McCord more of a pocket passer, while Thompson-Robinson can use his legs to make plays. It makes for an interesting debate on which type of quarterback do the Eagles want to have.
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The QB3 job won't get decided until the final day of training camp, so it will be a position battle to monitor over the next few weeks.