Dolphins Put Malik Willis on IR and Turn to Kyle McCord for His First NFL Start; Zach Sieler Out for the Season

Kyle McCord has spent eight Sundays in uniform without taking a single regular-season snap. That ends at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Miami Dolphins placed starting quarterback Malik Willis on injured reserve Tuesday, and McCord, a 24-year-old who has thrown passes only in the preseason, is in line to make his first NFL start Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.

The same team announcement (opens in a new tab) put defensive lineman Zach Sieler on IR and waived cornerback Reese Taylor. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Sieler ruptured a biceps and needs season-ending surgery. For a 1-7 team, Tuesday took away its starting quarterback for at least a month and its defensive captain for the rest of the year.

Willis Finally Runs Out of Road

Willis had been playing through a groin problem for two weeks, and it showed in the 19-9 loss to Detroit on Sunday. Head coach Jeff Hafley said afterward that the groin "was tight" and that Willis "didn't have the same speed," according to the Miami Herald. Willis went 13 of 25 for 128 yards with an interception and took three sacks.

The Dolphins list the injury as a groin. The Ringer's Tom Pelissero described it as a core muscle injury and reported that Willis is expected to return this season. The Herald reported that the team does not view it as season-ending.

IR means at least four games. Willis will miss the trip to Indianapolis, a visit to Buffalo, a home game against the Jets and a trip to Denver, per NFL.com. Willis is first eligible for the Dec. 13 home date with the Chicago Bears.

Willis arrived as a free agent on a three-year deal and has completed 58.2% of passes for 1,396 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions, with more than 230 rushing yards and three scores on the ground, per the Herald and NFL.com. Willis led Miami to its only win, a 28-25 victory over the Jets on Oct. 25.

Who Is Kyle McCord?

College football fans know the name. McCord went 11-1 as Ohio State's starter in 2023, with the lone loss coming against Michigan, then transferred to Syracuse and put up one of the best passing seasons in ACC history. In 2024 McCord threw for 4,779 yards, the most in FBS and a conference record, with 34 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Syracuse went 10-3, beat Washington State in the Holiday Bowl, and McCord finished 10th in the Heisman voting.

The NFL path has been bumpier. Philadelphia took McCord in the sixth round, 181st overall, in 2025, then waived McCord at the end of camp and kept the rookie on the practice squad all season. Green Bay signed McCord to a futures deal in January, and in the preseason McCord completed 46 of 70 passes for 446 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, per RotoWire. The Packers kept two quarterbacks anyway, and on Aug. 30 Miami sent a 2028 sixth-round pick to Green Bay (opens in a new tab) to make McCord the backup.

McCord has been active for all eight games without playing a snap, according to RotoWire. In September, McCord listed three strengths to the Herald: "Seeing the whole field, throwing with anticipation and getting the ball out of my hands." That skill set fits an offense whose leading receiver is rookie Caleb Douglas.

The Depth Chart Behind Him

The backup job likely goes to Brady Cook, who started games for the Jets last season and is on Miami's practice squad. NFL.com said Cook is likely to be elevated for Sunday. The Herald reported that the Dolphins also worked out veteran quarterbacks Tuesday, including Bailey Zappe, and the three moves left three open spots on the 53-man roster.

Miami stood pat at Tuesday's trade deadline, so there is no outside help coming at quarterback. With the playoffs out of reach, NFL.com framed the next four weeks as a real look at whether McCord can be part of the plan beyond this season. McCord is set to be an exclusive rights free agent after the year, per the Herald, which means Miami controls what happens next.

Losing the Captain

Sieler's injury may sting longer. Sieler was hurt on Miami's first defensive play against Detroit and stayed in the game anyway, according to Pro Football Rumors, which counted 42 defensive snaps. Recovery is expected to take five to six months.

Sieler, 31, was a seventh-round pick of the Ravens in 2018 and has been in Miami since a waiver claim in December 2019. Sieler posted back-to-back 10-sack seasons in 2023 and 2024, and this year had two sacks, seven tackles for loss and five quarterback hits through eight games, per Pro Football Rumors. Teams called about Sieler before the deadline, and Miami said no. Hafley's view of the captain has never been subtle. "I love him as a person. I love him as a player," Hafley said, per TSN.

Sieler is under contract through 2029, so this is a pause, not a goodbye. In the meantime, young interior linemen Kenneth Grant, Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers should get more work.

Sunday in Indianapolis

The Colts are 2-7 and have lost five straight, most recently a 27-23 loss to Dallas that slipped away in the final two minutes. Kickoff is 1 p.m. ET on CBS. For Miami, it is the first real answer to a question it has been asking since August.

Sources: Miami Dolphins, NFL.com, ESPN, Miami Herald, Pro Football Rumors, TSN, RotoWire, Yahoo Sports, Fox Sports, Indianapolis Colts. More NFL coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: Brandon Todd/New York Jets (file photo from Oct. 25, 2026, at New York Jets).