The Miami Dolphins could be breaking in a new quarterback-center pairing when Kyle McCord makes his first NFL start against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
Starting center Aaron Brewer missed Wednesday’s practice with a concussion. His availability for Sunday remained unsettled, with no game designation or Thursday participation listed when the report was checked.
Miami has already made one change at the heart of its offense. The Dolphins placed Malik Willis on injured reserve and turned to McCord, leaving the new starter to prepare while Brewer’s status is unresolved.
Andrew Meyer is next on Dolphins’ depth chart
Andrew Meyer is listed behind Brewer on the Dolphins’ depth chart, making him the next option if Miami needs a replacement. That depth-chart position does not establish that Brewer will miss the game or that the Dolphins have announced Meyer as Sunday’s starter.
A change at center would add another variable to McCord’s first week leading the offense. The snap exchange and communication between the two positions would become part of Miami’s preparation alongside the quarterback’s work with his receivers.
McCord said Wednesday that the biggest change to his routine was getting practice work with the first-team offense. His film preparation, he explained, had remained consistent with what he was doing as the backup.
Kyle McCord prepares to run Miami’s offense
McCord is approaching the opportunity with confidence in his command of the scheme. Asked whether he wanted the offense simplified, he rejected that idea in his Wednesday news conference.
“I pride myself on just being the ultimate competitor out there on the field,” said McCord. “And then on top of that, I feel like being able to process information at a quick rate and getting the ball out and being accurate and being on time, I feel like those are all things throughout college and into my preseason games in the NFL that I had success with. So I’m just trying to keep that rolling.”
That familiarity does not remove the need for live work with his teammates. McCord said he had followed first-team repetitions mentally while Willis was playing, studying how the receivers ran their routes even when he was not throwing to them.
Brewer was not the only offensive player missing Wednesday’s session. Tight end Will Kacmarek also did not participate because of quadriceps and knee injuries, while receiver Chris Bell was limited with a knee injury.
The backfield offered a better participation picture: Jaylen Wright and Kaytron Allen both practiced fully despite quadriceps injuries. For now, Brewer’s next practice designation will help clarify whether Miami’s quarterback change could be accompanied by a change at center.
