Will Grier is trading in his star for a set of stripes, and he’s moving one rung up the ladder at the same time.
The now-former Cowboys quarterback will sign with the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad, as first reported by NFL insider Adam Schefter. Grier was released by Dallas on Tuesday, just days after the club traded to acquire Trey Lance. Lance will now serve as the Cowboys’ QB3 behind Cooper Rush and starter Dak Prescott.
Grier, who had occupied that slot since 2021, was subsequently informed he would not make the initial 53-man roster. He was allowed to play the entirety of the Cowboys’ preseason finale against Las Vegas as an extended tryout for his next NFL gig.
He made the most of the audition, going 29-of-35 passing for 305 yards and two touchdowns- and running for two more scores- in the Cowboys’ exhibition win.
Former Cowboys’ QB Will Grier — who threw for 305 yards and ran for 45 more in his final game with Dallas — is signing with the Bengals’ practice squad, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 30, 2023
The four-year veteran will now join a top AFC contender and sit behind Joe Burrow and Jake Browning. Burrow is currently recovering from a training camp calf injury but is expected to start Week 1 for the Bengals. The undrafted Browning has yet to attempt a regular-season pass at the pro level entering his fifth season.
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Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy had said he would have liked to re-sign Grier to Dallas’s practice squad as a fourth-stringer to keep developing him, but Grier figures to be much closer to now seeing the field as a Bengal.
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