Fox Sports· Aug 31, 2026
FOX Sports projects Kyle McCord as Miami's backup behind starter Malik Willis, Mitchell Trubisky as Tennessee's primary backup behind starter Cam Ward, and J.J. McCarthy making the Vikings' 53-man roster.
“McCord, 23, is positioned to serve as the primary backup to starting quarterback Malik Willis in Miami.”
published in writing · Fox Sports · read the original →
5 checkable claims — 4 depth chart calls and 1 roster spot call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 8 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 4 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room on every one.
Where this call stands in the room
Malik Willis · 2026 season25 calls from 15 pundits between 1 and 1. Fox Sports said 1. the room's median is 1. not settled yet
Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.
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Who this take is about
5 checkable claims in this take
Each one is scored on its own against the published methodology. A pundit naming several outcomes is graded on each, not on all-or-nothing.
- Depth Chart CallsKyle McCordMiami DolphinsAug 31, 2026
Kyle McCord to be 2nd on the depth chart
“McCord, 23, is positioned to serve as the primary backup to starting quarterback Malik Willis in Miami.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Depth Chart CallsMalik WillisMiami DolphinsAug 31, 2026
Malik Willis to be 1st on the depth chart
“McCord, 23, is positioned to serve as the primary backup to starting quarterback Malik Willis in Miami.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Depth Chart CallsCam WardTennessee TitansAug 31, 2026
Cam Ward to be 1st on the depth chart
“The decision solidifies veteran Mitchell Trubisky as the primary backup behind 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward heading into the regular season.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Roster Spot CallsJ.J. McCarthyMinnesota VikingsAug 31, 2026
J.J. McCarthy to make the roster
“The second-year quarterback from Michigan is expected to make the Vikings' final 53-man roster, as first reported by ESPN.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Mitchell Trubisky to be 2nd on the depth chart
“The decision solidifies veteran Mitchell Trubisky as the primary backup behind 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward heading into the regular season.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- Bradley LockerDepth Chart Calls · Carson WentzHit · 100PFF's unsigned adjusted power rankings after Week 1 of the 2026 season place the Bills first, the Rams second and the Dolphins last, with notes on quarterback situations in Seattle, Minnesota and Cleveland.
- Adam ChudwinGame Outcome Picks · Minnesota VikingsHit · 100In his annual game-by-game Bears prediction, Chudwin went through all 17 games and landed on a 12-5 season for Chicago.
- Trevor RipleyRoster Spot Calls · Dillon BellMiss · 0Ripley expects Max Brosmer to return to the Vikings on the practice squad after being waived, and thinks Dillon Bell may draw waiver interest but is also a practice squad candidate for Minnesota.
- Nick ShookPosition Order Calls · Olaivavega IoaneMiss · 35Shook walks through his full first-round mock draft, assigning a prospect to every pick from No. 1 to No. 32, headlined by Fernando Mendoza to the Raiders, David Bailey to the Jets and Jeremiah Love to the Cardinals in the top three.
- Tom StrachanTrade and Signing Calls · Romeo DoubsMiss · 0Tom Strachan offered his own 2026 free-agent landing spots, sending Aaron Rodgers to Arizona, Malik Willis to Pittsburgh, Alec Pierce to Seattle, Mike Evans to Baltimore, Deebo Samuel to Carolina, Kenneth Walker to Houston, Breece Hall to Washington, Kyle Pitts to Philadelphia and Dallas Goedert to Miami, while keeping Daniel Jones and Javonte Williams with their current teams.
- Tom PelisseroTrade and Signing Calls · Adam ThielenHit · 100Pelissero doubted Micah Parsons would ultimately sit out, said the most logical outcome is Parsons showing up and playing out his contract, and pegged his eventual deal in the $45 million-per-year range; he also predicted the Vikings' week one starter opposite Justin Jefferson is not currently on their roster, floating Adam Thielen as a target, and said Justin Jefferson will be good to go for week one.
More depth chart calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Matt SeveranceDepth Chart Calls · Deshaun WatsonHit · 100The CBS Sports preview backs Tampa Bay to beat Cleveland in the Bucs' Week 2 home opener, and states that Deshaun Watson — not Shedeur Sanders — will be Cleveland's starting quarterback in Week 2.
- Rafael ZamoranoDepth Chart Calls · Deshaun WatsonHit · 100Zamorano reports Watson will start Week 2 at Tampa Bay and suggests there's little reason to expect improvement, raising the possibility Watson's five-year contract never yields more than single-digit wins.
- Rich HribarDepth Chart Calls · Tua TagovailoaMiss · 0Hribar expects Tua Tagovailoa to be Atlanta's starting quarterback for Week 2 while Michael Penix stays out, with Penix's return closer to Week 4. He is unenthusiastic about the Falcons' offense either way and treats Bryce Young as a fringe fantasy starter.
- Tyler SullivanDepth Chart Calls · Michael Penix Jr.Miss · 0In a Week 1 recap with no named byline, CBS Sports suggested Michael Penix Jr. would take over as Atlanta's Week 2 starter if healthy, called Ashton Jeanty's sophomore breakout imminent, and warned readers not to overlook San Francisco as NFC West winners.
- Pat FitzmauriceDepth Chart Calls · Rashod BatemanMiss · 0In his Week 2 waiver wire column, Fitzmaurice recommends a slate of pickups he expects to outperform their current rostership (Kaelon Black, Deebo Samuel, Tyler Shough, Geno Smith and others), lays out several depth-chart expectations (Black as the 49ers' No. 2 back, Shedeur Sanders eventually taking over in Cleveland, Penix returning for Atlanta), and flags Fool's Gold/drop candidates such as Mike Gesicki, Kendrick Bourne and Rashid Shaheed.
- Bill HuberDepth Chart Calls · Chris McClellanMiss · 0Huber's first Packers rookie progress report projects second-round cornerback Brandon Cisse to hold onto his spot with the No. 1 defense, third-round defensive tackle Chris McClellan to start in Week 1, and fifth-round lineman Jager Burton to be the team's top interior backup rather than a starter.