A former Dallas Cowboys quarterback is once again on the move just days before the 2026 NFL draft kicks off. Will Grier was a longtime backup to Dak Prescott in Big D.
Now, Grier is reuniting with the team that drafted him in 2019. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Grier is signing with the Panthers.
“As the draft draws closer and teams fill out their rosters, Cowboys QB Will Grier is signing with Carolina, where he started his NFL career in 2019,” Schefter detailed in an April 21, 2026, message on X.
“Grier now will join a quarterback room that includes Bryce Young and Kenny Pickett.”
Here’s what you need to know about the latest NFL news and Cowboys rumors ahead of the draft.
The Cowboys Cut Ties With QB Will Grier in March After Signing Sam Howell
During his standout college football career at West Virginia, Grier was once projected to be a potential first-round pick. Instead, Grier slipped to the third round of the 2019 NFL draft where the Panthers selected the signal-caller with the No. 100 overall pick.
The Cowboys signed Grier to a futures contract in February only to release the veteran in March. Dallas cut ties with Grier after the team inked Sam Howell to compete to be the Cowboys backup quarterback.
After Trading for Trey Lance, the Cowboys Also Cut Ties With Will Grier in 2023
Grier has had a complicated relationship with the Cowboys resulting in multiple stints in Big D. The Cowboys also released Grier prior to the 2023 season after trading for Trey Lance.
It was a move that caught Prescott by surprise, who expressed support for Grier.
“He (Jerry Jones) felt like that strengthened this team and, yeah, ready to welcome [Lance] and, yeah, I mean knowing the strength of the quarterback room that we have,” Prescott said in August 2023, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. “Honestly right now, my heart and my mind is with Will.
“So it’s a tough situation, honestly. Love that guy to death over there. Plays his ass off, comes in, prepares the right way each and every day.”
Cowboys News: Dallas Plans to Have ‘Open Competition’ at Backup Quarterback Between Joe Milton & Sam Howell
The Cowboys still have plenty of competition behind Prescott heading into next season, even without Grier. Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer revealed that the team plans to have an “open competition” between Howell and Joe Milton for the QB2 role.
“Yeah, and again, Sam was the guy we watched the film, we were like, man, if we could have Sam Howell and Joe Milton on this football team and give those guys both a chance to compete,” Schottenheimer noted in March, per Sports Illustrated. “They’re both uber talented, they both have big-time arm strength. Sam started, actually, 20-something games in this league, which is great.
“But, yeah, it’s an open competition. We’re excited for both those guys to go, and you can never have enough quarterbacks to develop. And I think we developed the quarterback at a very high rate in our system, and a chance to get a guy like Sam. And Sam was excited to come here, quite honestly, to be developed by us, and the way we do it. So we should be good.”
Ex-Cowboys Highly Touted QB Lands With New Team After Dallas Cuts Ties