Cowboys' former QB reportedly turned down staff job in order to keep playing
· Yahoo Sports
Will Grier is still chasing the dream.
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The 31-year-old quarterback was a third-round draft pick back in 2019 but has played in exactly two NFL games in his career, both of those appearances coming in that rookie year. He's been with six different teams- seldom for very long- but he's made an impression wherever he's gone.
The Eagles, for example, gave him a Super Bowl ring even though he was cut midway through his only season in Philadelphia.
The Panthers, who first drafted Grier out of West Virginia, just signed him to a new deal, seven and a half years after going 1-for-8 passing for 4 yards in his last game action for them.
Now we learn that the Cowboys, with whom Grier did two separate stints, offered the well-traveled but rarely-used QB something perhaps most surprising of all: a staff job.
According to a piece from Joseph Person in The Athletic this week, the Cowboys tried to hire Grier for an unspecified position on Brian Schottenheimer's staff during the offseason. Grier's father, himself a successful coach at the high school level in North Carolina, made the revelation and even said that his son was leaning toward accepting the Cowboys job until the Panthers came calling.
“Man, there’s not a huge chance you’re gonna play [in Carolina] this year. But there’s zero chance you get to play if you’re coaching,” Chad Grier recalled telling Will, per Person's piece. “So I would say you stay in that league as a player as long as you possibly can. You have the rest of your life to coach.”
That's the track that many believe Will Grier to also be on. And it's not at all shocking that the Cowboys were ready to help him make that transition after spending 2025 on their practice squad.
Grier first came to Dallas in 2021 and sat behind Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush, learning for two full seasons under head coach and quarterback whisperer Mike McCarthy. Grier might have stayed longer if not for 2023's late-summer trade that brought Trey Lance to the Cowboys.
Suddenly fourth on the depth chart and headed for the cut list, Grier was granted one last chance to put himself on tape for the rest of the league by starting that night's preseason finale versus the Raiders. Grier was exceptional, completing 82.9% of his throws and racking up 305 yards and a pair of scores en route to a 122.0 passer rating. He even ran for two touchdowns while amassing 53 rushing yards, all while knowing he was on his way out the door.
Grier told The Athletic that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones sought him out after making the absolute most of the bittersweet moment.
“He sat in my locker with me and just talked to me about how much he respected me and how great of a game that was,” Grier said. “Just talked for about five or so minutes. But he really cares and is a big part of every part of the organization from top down, and you feel that being a player there.”
That showcase gave Grier subsequent opportunities with the Bengals, Patriots, Chargers, and Eagles, though none of them lasted long. The Cowboys brought Grier back in late 2024. Schottenheimer kept him around for the 2025 campaign and even signed Grier to a reserve/futures deal in February.
The Cowboys then released Grier in March. It's unclear when the Dallas staff job was offered, but Carolina signed him on April 21.
Grier is still close with Prescott and pals around frequently with tight end Jake Ferguson, among others. He was reportedly part of a golf outing in recent weeks that also included Cowboys rookie defensive back Caleb Downs. And despite the most recent return to his hometown of Charlotte, Grier says he and his family still plan to live in Dallas in the offseason.
So while a Cowboys staff position may come someday soon for Grier, who clearly has made lasting connections in Dallas, he appears ready to give it at least one more go as a Panther... and a player.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys reportedly offered staff job to former QB Will Grier