Who is Will Grier, the backup QB Cowboys signed while Prescott is out?

After Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a hamstring injury in the third quarter of their game against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9, he met with several medical professionals to determine the best solution. The injury was much worse than first thought - the hamstring was partially torn off the bone, a condition known as partial avulsion.

After discussing the potential options, Prescott decided to undergo surgery, ending his NFL season. Even if he hadn’t, the injury would have taken quite a long time to heal on its own and would have required Prescott to sit out for the majority of the rest of the season anyway.

Prescott’s backups

With Prescott out, Cooper Rush has been filling in, but it hasn‘t given much promise. Trey Lance also spent a little bit of time under center against the Philadelphia Eagles last week and it‘s possible the Cowboys will give him some more playing time to see what he’s capable of.

However, this left them without a QB3. That’s where Will Grier comes in.

Cowboys sign Will Grier to practice squad

On Tuesday, the Cowboys signed Will Grier to the practice squad as their third quarterback. Grier is a familiar face for the Cowboys, having left last season when they traded for Trey Lance.

Grier had to play Dallas' final preseason game knowing it would be his last for the team. He threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns to beat the Las Vegas Raiders 31-16.

“It’s been tough, but I’ve been through tougher stuff. I got a lot of respect for this organization and the Jones family,” said Grier after that game. “I understand that it’s a business at the end of the day. The hardest part on me is just leaving this place to be honest, I got really close with the team, that stuff’s part about what we do.”

Now, Grier is back with the Cowboys. In a corresponding move, they released undrafted rookie defensive back Emani Johnson.

After playing college football in Florida and West Virginia, Grier was drafted in the third round by the Carolina Panthers in 2019 and was the third-string behind Cam Newton and Kyle Allen. That year, he started just two games and threw for 228 yards, no touchdowns, and four interceptions in the two losses. He has had stints with the Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers, and Philadelphia Eagles, but has not appeared in a regular season game since those two with the Panthers in 2019.

Rush will start when the Cowboys play the Houston Texans on Monday night with Lance as the No. 2 option and Grier as the third string. Since Grier is on the practice squad and not the active roster, he is not eligible to be the “emergency” quarterback, but he can still be elevated to the gameday roster as the third backup.

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