Cowboys HC calls Will Grier's preseason performance best since 1999

The Dallas Cowboys made a trade with the San Francisco 49ers over the weekend to acquire quarterback Trey Lance for a fourth-round pick. 

With Lance (the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft) heading to Dallas that leaves former West Virginia QB Will Grier as the odd man out between he, Dak Prescott, backup Cooper Rush and Lance.

Despite Grier knowing he will be released by Dallas by final cuts with Lance in the fold he went out on Saturday and gave it his all instead of mailing it in. Grier went out a hero in the preseason finale.  

Grier was electric throwing and running, going 29-of 35 for 305 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 53 yards and two rushing scores in the Cowboys 31-16 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Grier's performance was the best Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy can remember in over two decades.

"That might be the best performance I've seen since 1999 Matt Hasselbeck had some of these," McCarthy said. "I'm just so proud of him."

While Grier will latch on with another team quickly once the Cowboys cut him and noted his play "speaks for itself", he also acknowledged that this is "tough."

"I understand it's a business at the end of the day and I respect that," Grier explained. "The hardest part on me is just leaving this place, to be honest. Got really close with the team and that's the toughest part about what we do. But I've been through harder things and I'll rebound and be just fine."

While Lance has more perceived upside, it's no sure thing he ever develops. Lance still looks raw and there's a reason the 49ers gave up on him and demoted him all the way to QB No. 3 after being the Week 1 starter in 2022. 

Lance is 23 and Grier is 28 and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is banking on Lance being the QB that was sought after coming out of North Dakota State.

Making things more interesting is Dak Prescott is signed through 2024 and will make $29M next season and count $59.4M against the salary cap. Perhaps Jones feels Lance could become Prescott's successor. 

There are reasons why releasing Grier makes sense, but how Grier performed on Saturday will make his story all the more compelling when he inevitably signs elsewhere in the coming days.