Getty Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Will Grier is joining the Cincinnati Bengals.
Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Will Grier did not go long without an NFL home as the veteran is joining the Cincinnati Bengals. The news comes less than 24 hours after the Cowboys officially released Grier, but the quarterback’s future with the team ended when Dallas acquired Trey Lance.
“Former Cowboys’ QB Will Grier — who threw for 305 yards and ran for 45 more in his final game with Dallas — is signing with the Bengals’ practice squad, per source,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted on August 30, 2023.
It is an appealing destination for Grier who now has a chance to potentially compete with Jake Browning to be the Bengals backup quarterback behind Joe Burrow. The star quarterback is already dealing with a calf injury making depth at the position a major priority for Cincinnati.
The Dallas Cowboys Were Interested in Re-Signing Will Grier to the Team’s Practice Squad
The move officially eliminates the possibility of Grier re-signing with the Cowboys on a practice squad deal. While Dallas expressed an interest in bringing back Grier, signing as a team’s fourth quarterback is an unappealing option, especially when the veteran should have a chance to compete for the Bengals backup role.
“Mike McCarthy said yesterday that he’d love to have Will Grier back as the Cowboys’ fourth QB. He was going to be Dallas’ No. 3 before last Friday’s trade for Trey Lance,” The Athletic’s Jon Machota detailed on Twitter on August 30.
The Dallas Cowboys Informed Will Grier of His Eventual Release Prior to Striking the Trey Lance Deal
According to The Dallas Morning News’ David Moore, the Cowboys informed Grier that he would eventually be released prior to the Lance deal becoming official. Dallas gave Grier the majority of the quarterback snaps in the preseason finale to allow the veteran to showcase his skills to other teams.
“Club officials spoke to QB Will Grier before the deal for Trey Lance was made public, two people with knowledge of how the trade went down said,” Moore tweeted on August 25. “He’s been told he won’t be on this team going forward but is slated to play from start to finish against the Raiders in his farewell.”
Dak Prescott on Will Grier’s Final Cowboys Game: ‘Hope the Rest of the League Saw That & Took Notice’
Dak Prescott was the play-caller for Grier’s final game with the Cowboys. Prescott had a somber tone when discussing Grier’s future as well as the Lance trade.
“As I said, man just played his a** off,” Prescott told reporters on August 27. “That’s who Will is. That’s who Will’s been from the time that he’s been here, and it was awesome that he got to go out there and put that performance on display and hope the rest of the league saw that and took notice.”
The quarterback questions are just beginning in Dallas as the team will eventually need to decide who will be the backup quarterback behind Prescott. Cooper Rush is expected to begin the season as the QB2, but the team may be eager to see what Lance can do given the front office gave up future draft capital to acquire the quarterback.