Quarterbacks play the most difficult and important position in football, so it's worth asking why any NFL team would trade away a young, capable quarterback no matter the circumstances.
Why did the Green Bay Packers trade 23-year-old Kyle McCord -- one of the NFL's preseason stars at quarterback -- to the Miami Dolphins at final roster cutdowns?
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst explained the decision on Tuesday.
The bottom line: The Packers didn't want to keep three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, and the chances of retaining McCord via the practice squad all but evaporated once the Miami Dolphins called about a trade.
"He played so well during the preseason. We were contemplating, do we keep three? Do we try to get him to the practice
squad, what's the likelihood of that? When somebody calls you and starts talking about a trade, the likelihood of getting him to the practice squad probably isn't strong," Gutekunst said.
On Sunday, Gutekunst and former Packers executive Jon-Eric Sullivan, now the general manager of the rebuilding Dolphins, agreed on a sixth-round pick in 2028 for McCord.
"It was fun to do a deal with Sully," Gutekunst said.
Had he been released, McCord was all but certain to be claimed off waivers on Monday. The Dolphins used a trade to skip the line and ensure he landed in Miami.
McCord, who signed a futures deal with the Packers in January after spending his rookie season in Philadelphia, showed he could play over three preseason appearances. In the preseason finale, McCord threw four touchdown passes, including the game winner with 20 seconds left.
Gutekunst said McCord "worked diligently" to improve during his half-year in Green Bay. Coach Matt LaFleur consistently praised McCord's poise.
While Gutekunst admitted it was "hard to move on," there is no arguing that a better opportunity exists for a young quarterback in Miami. With the Dolphins, McCord is expected to be the backup behind former Packers quarterback Malik Willis.
In Green Bay, the Packers have veteran Tyrod Taylor entrenched as the backup behind Jordan Love for 2026.
But what about 2027? Taylor is at the end of his career and might not return next season. Gutekunst said the Packers will just repeat the process at quarterback: find, acquire and develop.
"It's always (tough), whenever you trade a player that you like and you think has an upside, but he wasn't going to be the No. 2 here most likely, and heading into next year, who knows? It's our job to find the next guy, and develop the next guy. That's what we do. That's what we'll do moving forward."
Time will tell if the Packers made the right decision. On one hand, getting a draft pick just months after signing a castoff young quarterback to a futures deal is an incredible result. On the other, the Packers still gave away a young player at an important position who showed real promise during preseason games.
The next reclamation project? Kedon Slovis, the former Arizona Cardinals quarterback who signed to the practice squad on Tuesday.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Why did Packers trade QB Kyle McCord to Miami? GM explains
