Getty The Dallas Cowboys are expected to move on from Will Grier after trading for Trey Lance.
The surprising trade with the San Francisco 49ers for Trey Lance means the Dallas Cowboys suddenly find themselves with four quarterbacks on the roster, but this will not last long as Will Grier is expected to be cut in the coming days. The addition of Lance sets up an intriguing longterm battle for the backup quarterback spot given Cooper Rush’s recent success when Dak Prescott was sidelined in 2022.
“Grier is absolutely the odd man out,” The Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken wrote on August 25, 2023.
Grier challenged Rush for the backup role during the 2022 training camp, but there has been little opportunity since last August for the quarterback to gain ground on the QB2 gig. Dallas is expected to give Grier an opportunity to showcase his skills for other teams during the team’s final preseason matchup against the Raiders on August 26.
“Grier will be cut in the days ahead,” Gehlken added. “But in the interim, Grier is expected to play all of Saturday’s exhibition, guiding a Cowboys offense for the final time. Thirty-one other NFL clubs will evaluate the game film he produces, and composure he demonstrates, during a whirlwind weekend.
“This is his last stand.”
The Dallas Cowboys Can Move on From Cooper Rush as Soon as 2024
With the addition of Trey Lance, do Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys have the strongest QB room in the league? 🤔
The trade for Lance not only ends Grier’s time with Dallas, but calls into question Rush’s future with the team beyond this season. Unable to find a starting job elsewhere, Rush signed a two-year, $5 million contract with the Cowboys this offseason and is slated to have a $1.5 million base salary in 2023.
The Cowboys have an out in Rush’s deal next offseason meaning the team could favor turning to Lance as Prescott’s backup in 2024. Dallas would take a dead cap hit of $625,000 next offseason by releasing Rush, per Spotrac. The Cowboys would eat $2.75 million in dead money in 2023 if they opted to move on from Rush prior to Week 1.
According to The Dallas Morning News’ David Moore, the Cowboys already informed Grier that he will no longer be on the team following the preseason finale.
“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.”
Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Mike McCarthy: ‘I Really Like the Progress Will Grier Has Made’
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.
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.
The Lance trade means that Grier will once again be starting over as the former highly touted quarterback aims to prove he belongs as an NFL signal-caller. Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy indicated this offseason that the team’s decision not to draft a quarterback was partly tied to the “progress” Grier made with the team since arriving in 2021. Grier was selected by the Panthers in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft following a standout collegiate career at West Virginia.
“Definitely [wanted to take a developmental quarterback]. There was definitely some guys that we really liked,” McCarthy said during an April 29 press conference. “But I think the other thing too, as I recall, I think every one of these young men, all eight of them, were the highest-ranked player on the board. … The trust of the board was right on the money all three days.
“But yeah, I really like the progress Will Grier has made. He’s been here the whole time. Obviously, Cooper gives us that veteran presence and everything, so it’s a very healthy room. Having a fourth quarterback is a little bit more of a challenge in today’s NFL than it was years ago. So all those things factor in.”