Will Grier lands with AFC team after release from Cowboys

The Cincinnati Bengals have signed quarterback Will Grier to their practice squad following his release from the Dallas Cowboys Tuesday.

Grier, a third-round selection of the Carolina Panthers in the 2019 NFL Draft out of West Virginia, played in the entirety of the Cowboys’ final preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders this past Saturday. A 31-16 victory, Grier completed 29-of-35 passes for 305 yards and two touchdowns. He added 53 yards yards on 10 carries and two scores. After the Cowboys acquired Trey Lance from the San Francisco 49ers the day prior, as well as the presence of Cooper Rush behind Dak Prescott, Grier’s chances at making the 53-man roster were slim to none.

He now moves to Cincinnati, his third NFL team, where he could have a shot to stick as the backup to Joe Burrow.

With Burrow sidelined for another preseason, this time due to a calf strain, the backups had the show to themselves. The two that were in contention for the backup job: Trevor Siemian and Jake Browning. Siemian has some real experience, as he took over primary quarterback duties for nearly all of the 2016 season for the Denver Broncos. Coming off a Super Bowl 50 win, he led the Broncos to an 8-6 record as the starter and even did well enough to start 11 games the next season, though things fell apart for him after that ’17 season.

Will Grier presented with opportunity to be Bengals backup

Meanwhile, Browning doesn’t have much of an NFL track record since entering the league after a stellar career at Washington. However, he is a staple of the Cincinnati practice squad and has been there since 2021. After a zero-touchdown preseason by Siemian, the Bengals waived him, making Browning the QB2.

Grier has some experience in the NFL, dating back to 2019 during his time with the Panthers. He started two games, throwing for 228 yards with zero touchdowns and four interceptions on 53.8% passing. Should Burrow remain sidelined into the regular season, one would presume Grier would be the backup to Browning until the Pro Bowl signal-caller gets back on the field.