Outside of a few odd seasons, the Dallas Cowboys' quarterback situation has been fairly straightforward for the last 20 years: It has been Tony Romo or Dak Prescott under center. But a handful of backups have nuzzled their way into the hearts of Cowboys fans during that time as well.
Most recently, Joe Milton has impressed as a reserve for America's Team, but Cooper Rush had a long run as a reliable No. 2 in Dallas before that. Andy Dalton had his moment in the sun, and even Matt Cassel made a brief (and forgettable) cameo appearance with the Cowboys.
But if we're looking for deeper cuts in Dallas' quarterback room in recent years, Will Grier has to come to mind. Grier had two separate two-year stints with the Cowboys, and he is a close confidant of Prescott's. Now that he's retired, his becoming an assistant coach at The Star feels inevitable.
Former Dallas Cowboys QB Will Grier retires from the NFL
After signing with the Carolina Panthers this offseason, which is the franchise that drafted him in the third round in 2019, Grier decided to retire before training camp, according to the team. That means that his seven-year NFL career, in which he played for six different teams, is now over.
Grier initially came to Dallas in 2021 via the waiver wire to replace Ben DiNucci. He backed up Prescott and Rush that year, but was only active for a single contest and did not play. In 2022, he was active for much of the season as he backed up Rush, who was filling in for an injured Prescott.
He was waived once again at final roster cuts ahead of the 2023 season following a monster performance against the Las Vegas Raiders in the preseason finale in favor of Trey Lance. Grier bounced around for a year or so before returning to the Cowboys in 2024.
This time, Grier's stint with Dallas was a bit less exciting. He signed to the practice squad in November of 2024, was only active for a single game that year, and then spent the entire 2025 campaign on the practice squad again. He finished his Cowboys career with no regular season appearances.
So, why is his retirement so significant for Brian Schottenheimer's current team?
Will Grier was offered coaching job by Dallas Cowboys this offseason
Well, according to The Athletic's Joseph Person, who chronicled Grier's NFL journey earlier this offseason, Schottenheimer actually offered Grier a spot on the Cowboys' coaching staff before he signed with the Panthers.
"After Grier spent last season on Dallas’ practice squad, the Cowboys offered him a position on Brian Schottenheimer’s coaching staff this year, according to Chad Grier, who said Will was leaning toward taking it before the Panthers called."
The extent of Grier's role in Carolina this year was going to be to mentor and help out young quarterback Bryce Young. Although Prescott is no spring chicken, he and Grier have a great relationship, and it would be a seamless transition for Dallas to circle back on that offer to Grier.
By all accounts, the Cowboys' coaching staff is set. But an NFL team is rarely going to turn down another set of helping hands or another great voice in the quarterback's ear. Plus, Dallas has the money to pay for another low-level assistant, if we're being honest.
Dallas was clearly interested in Grier coaching before he even retired, and now that he's hung up his cleats, one has to imagine that, as John Owning put it, a "New member of the Cowboys coaching staff [is] coming soon."
Congrats to Grier on a great career. It is now seemingly inevitable that he'll be coaching for America's Team in the not-so-distant future.
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