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The Dallas Cowboys have had a quiet offseason at quarterback, ignoring the position during the NFL draft after re-signing Cooper Rush in free agency. Dallas also has Will Grier still on the roster, but it remains to be seen whether the Cowboys will carry three quarterbacks this season. USA Today’s K.D. Drummond projects that Grier will end up getting cut with the possibility that Dallas will look to re-sign him to their practice squad.
“There’s nothing that is going to happen this offseason short of injury that’s going to change this [quarterback] projection,” Drummond wrote June 12, 2023. “Dallas is set here, didn’t draft a QB (they would have if the cards fell right) and this is the group.”
Drummond has Rush once again earning the QB2 role which will be hard for Grier to pry away in training camp. Cowboys fans may remember the front office opted to release both Grier and Rush as the team finalized their 53-man roster in 2022. Dallas was able to bring back both quarterbacks to the team’s practice squad after each player went unsigned.
The Cowboys will not take that chance again after Rush’s breakout performance filling in for Dak Prescott last season. USA Today’s projections indicate that Dallas could take the same risk with Grier this year.
Will Grier Was Once Projected to Be a First-Round Pick
Grier was once viewed as a potential first-round pick before ultimately falling in the draft. During his final collegiate season at West Virginia in 2018, Grier threw for 3,864 yards, 37 touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing 67% of his passes.
The Panthers stopped Grier’s slide by selecting him with the No. 100 overall pick in the third round of the 2019 draft. Heading into his third season, Carolina released Grier, prompting Dallas to claim him on waivers.
Playing in just two career games, Grier has yet to firmly establish himself as an NFL quarterback. Grier is slated to have a $1 million salary for 2023 and will be a free agent in 2024 if he is able to hold on to a roster spot.
Cowboys Head Coach Mike McCarthy: ‘I Really Like the Progress Will Grier Has Made’
There is still a world where Grier has a bright future in Dallas. He was part of a tight race for the backup quarterback role last season before Rush was given the nod. Given the re-signing of Rush, Grier is unlikely to have a chance at revenge with a similar wide-open competition during the upcoming training camp.
The NFL also reintroduced a previous rule that allows teams to more easily carry three quarterbacks on their game-day roster, which is good news for Grier’s future. Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy cited Grier’s progression as one of the reasons the team passed on drafting a quarterback.
“Definitely [wanted to take a developmental quarterback]. There was definitely some guys that we really liked,” McCarthy remarked 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.”
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