3 surprising cuts from the Cowboys 53-man roster

2. Will Grier, QB

As mentioned already, Cooper Rush is set to come back and serve as the No. 2 quarterback this season. It’s easy to argue that Will Grier looked better than Rush in the preseason — and had been pushing him throughout camp — but there’s much more to consider when making these decisions.

As good as Grier looked at times, he also battled some injuries, including one that kept him sidelined in Week 1 against Denver. On top of that, he was playing well against many players who are also on the waiver wire.

While both of those factors were considered, the main reason they went in the direction they did was familiarity. Rush has been with Dallas for several years now and was pressed into action last season in a critical game against the Minnesota Vikings.

In that contest, he not only led them to a win but threw a game-winning touchdown pass to close things out. That means those making the decisions in Dallas felt comfortable enough with Rush to know he can deliver when he plays alongside the starters. Because of this, Grier was always facing an uphill battle to win this coaching staff over.

Still, it was a bit surprising to see Grier let go in that risky move. He is back, but the team has made it clear that Rush is the QB2 despite Grier’s preseason perfrmance.