It appears Will Grier will be back for 2025.
In what seems like a minor move now but could prove to be more meaningful in the coming months, the Cowboys extended the contract of veteran quarterback Will Grier. With both Cooper Rush and Trey Lance scheduled to become unrestricted free agents this March, Grier is now the only other QB signed for 2025 along with Dak Prescott.
Grier rejoined Dallas in November as part of the practice squad following the season-ending injury to Prescott. He didn’t get called up until last Sunday’s regular-season finale, serving as Lance’s backup without any actual snaps taken.
Dallas is very familiar with the 29-year-old after a two-year stint from 2021-2022. A former third-round pick by Carolina in 2019, Grier was claimed off waivers during final cuts in 2021 and served in third-string and emergency duties with Dallas for two seasons. When the Cowboys traded for Trey Lance in August 2023, Grier was pushed to the chopping block.
With mutual understanding that he wouldn’t be kept at final cuts, Grier was given a chance to show his stuff in the team’s 2023 preseason finale. It was a memorable night as he went off for 305 yards and four touchdowns, two passing and two rushing. Dak Prescott was emotional talking about Grier’s impending departure after the game, a clear indication of how the locker room felt about him and why he is back today.
Since then, Grier has floated around multiple teams in similar emergency and practice squad roles without finding a home. But the Cowboys could present his best opportunity to stick to a depth chart given their potential needs.
Rush has been Prescott’s backup since 2017, outside of a brief departure to the Giants in 2020. With a 9-5 record now as a starting QB, Rush could have a solid market for teams looking for veteran depth. At the very least, his asking price may go beyond what Dallas is willing to pay.
Grier was only making about $1 million last year and shouldn’t be seeing much of a raise in this extension. With Stephen Jones already chirping about the team’s cap situation ahead of the offseason, they’ll be looking for bargains every way they can find them.
Still, this move doesn’t preclude Dallas from re-signing one of their existing backups. They may prefer the continuity that Rush provides or still see some upside in Lance. Again, money will be the issue with either. But it’s possible that the Cowboys allow them both to test the market and then bring back one once the price comes down.
In the end, this extension with Will Grier may be inconsequential. But given his history here and what’s coming in free agency with Cooper Rush and Trey Lance, it feels a little more significant than the typical January contract move. He may be here to hedge a bet, provide leverage, or perhaps even as the fallback option for QB2 if the team doesn’t find a better option.
