Ex-Cowboys QB Chose Playing Opportunity Over Coaching Role With Dallas (For Now)

The Dallas Cowboys offered Will Grier a job on Brian Schottenheimer's staff but the veteran decided to keep playing instead.

Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Will Grier. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

While he has never played a snap in a regular season game for the Dallas Cowboys, quarterback Will Grier has been a fairly regular fixture with the franchise in recent years.

Grier has bounced back and forth between the Cowboys' practice squad and active roster on multiple occasions since 2021 and was on the team's offseason roster in March before Dallas decided to release him.

While the Cowboys didn't plan on keeping Grier around as a player, Dallas did want to give him a job on head coach Brian Schottenheimer's staff.

However, at the advice of his dad, and with an opportunity to return to the Carolina Panthers, Grier chose to keep playing instead of becoming a coach.

"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 Athletic's Joe Person wrote.

“Man, there’s not a huge chance you’re gonna play (in Carolina) this year," Grier's dad, Chad, recounts telling Will. "But there’s zero chance you get to play if you’re coaching. 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.”

Now, Grier is providing help in the Panthers' quarterbacks room that also includes starter Bryce Young and top backup Kenny Pickett, who was signed in free agency.

“It’s always good, as you’re building that quarterback room, to bring guys in with experience who’ve been exposed to different systems, have seen defenses around the league,” Panthers head coach Dave Canales said of the veteran. “We’re all in there to help Bryce. And the more information, the more people we can bring in to enrich the conversation, the better. So, I’m really happy that Will came in and chose to get back here to the Carolinas.”

Will Grier's admiration for Jerry Jones

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Grier revealed that he has a ton of respect for Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and recalled how Jones visited him at his locker following a huge 2023 preseason game.

“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.”

It's safe to say that whenever Grier decides to hang up his cleats, he's probably going to have a coaching job waiting for him in Dallas, and maybe even in Carolina, too.