Syracuse Football: Former Orange Quarterback to Get First NFL Start

A former Syracuse Orange football star will make his debut as an NFL starter this weekend. Quarterback Kyle McCord will start for the Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon (1 p.m. ET) in place of the injured Malik Willis. The Dolphins (1-7) are playing the Indianapolis Colts (2-7) in Indianapolis. 

Willis suffered a groin injury and has been placed on the injured reserve. As such, he will miss at least the next four weeks of action.

Here's what you need to know:

In the 2024 season, McCord's lone season with Syracuse, the senior signal caller set both the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and Syracuse school record for single-season passing yards with 4,779.

McCord helped Syracuse to a Holiday Bowl victory and a double-digit win season, just the school's third one in the last 20 years. The Orange defeated Washington State.

After both a successful team and individual season, McCord was drafted in the sixth round by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025. The Eagles released him in January 2026 without him seeing game action. 

Later that month, McCord signed a contract with the Green Bay Packers before being traded. This past offseason, the Dolphins signed Willis to be the team's starting quarterback. Now, with an injury forcing him to the sidelines, McCord could have potentially four starts to showcase his skillset against NFL defenses. A strong showing over the next month could lead to a solid career for the former SU standout.

Tommy DeVito is the most recent former Syracuse quarterback to start in the NFL, and like McCord, he has a chance to do it again this year.

DeVito's most recent start came as a member of the New York Giants. On Nov. 24, 2024, DeVito was the leader in a 30-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After eight total starts with the Giants, DeVito was claimed off waivers by the New England Patriots before the start of the 2025 season. He signed a two-year contract extension with the Patriots in March. Devito is currently the backup to Drake Maye.

The possibility of having a former player become a starter in the NFL is a tremendous tool for head coach Fran Brown to use when recruiting future players. Whether it be high school recruits or players in the transfer portal, recruits could view Syracuse as a potential boost to their aspiring professional careers.

This year's version of the Orange has just three regular season games remaining. The Orange are 4-5, putting them just two wins away from a bowl game invitation.

Syracuse will battle North Carolina State this Saturday at noon ET in Raleigh, N.C.