Back in 2023, the Dallas Cowboys
made an unusual decision by letting Dak Prescott
call the final preseason game, which also turned out to be Will Grier
's last appearance with the team that year. Even though the Cowboys were planning to release him, Grier delivered a strong performance, throwing for 305 yards and two touchdowns to lead Dallas to a 31–16 win over the Las Vegas Raiders
. After the game, the quarterback admitted how much he enjoyed working alongside Prescott.
While he bid an emotional farewell to Dallas, Grier had made it clear that he still hoped Prescott would one day win a Super Bowl. The two spent four seasons together in the Cowboys' locker room, forming a close friendship along the way. This bond was evident recently when Prescott took to Instagram to send off his former teammate into the sunset.
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"Never retired, just switching lanes. Congrats, my brother," Prescott posted on his Instagram story.
On July 15, 2026, Will Grier officially retired from football at 31 after participating in the Carolina Panthers'
offseason workouts. He announced the decision on Instagram
, where New England Patriots
quarterback Drake Maye
responded with a brief message: "704 made🔥." The moment marked a quiet but meaningful close to his time in the league, setting the stage for a story that had come full circle.
Grier's seven-season NFL journey ended where it first began. The Panthers drafted him in 2019, his hometown team, prompting his father to place a Panthers hat on a bookcase in his office at Providence Day School. When the Cowboys claimed Grier off waivers in 2021, another hat joined the display, and his father continued adding to the collection at every stop. By the end, the shelf held eight hats representing six NFL teams, including two each for Carolina and Dallas, capturing the path of a career defined by movement and opportunity. That collection tells the story of a career filled with constant change.
After leaving West Virginia for the NFL, Grier moved through multiple cities, including Carolina, Dallas, Cincinnati
, New England
, Los Angeles
, and Philadelphia
. The constant relocation brought challenges, but he often credited his wife, Jeanne, for holding everything together. He once called her a "trooper" for managing Airbnb stays and the demands of life on the move, a role that proved just as vital as anything on the field. Her steady presence became the backbone of a career that rarely stayed in one place for long.
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As a rookie, Grier backed up Cam Newton
and Kyle Allen
before making his first start in Week 16 against the Indianapolis Colts
. He also started the season finale against the New Orleans Saints
. These were the only two regular-season games of his NFL career, in which he recorded 228 passing yards and four interceptions. But the numbers never reflected the persistence Grier showed throughout this journey. After his standout performance at the final preseason game in August 2023, emotions were high, but he stood firm on his beliefs.
"I think my play speaks for itself," he said, thinking back to the moment. "I'm a team-first guy…at the end of the day it's a numbers thing. It's just part of the job I signed up for." He added, "It's hard, it's tough, because you get close to people. But at the same time, I'm going to be just fine. Everybody is going to be fine."
The 2024 season brought one of the most memorable twists of Grier's career. The Eagles released him midway through the season before they won the Super Bowl. Surprisingly, Philly still invited him to their Super Bowl ring ceremony and gave him a ring of his own!
This year, Grier returned to Carolina on a one-year deal on April 21, hoping to restart his career with the team that drafted him. But that comeback isn't making it to training camp. Panthers insider Darin Gantt wrote on Wednesday that the team had placed him on the reserve/retired list. Grier has faced uncertainty at every step of the way in his NFL career, soldiering on when nobody expected him to. However, a day had to come when the quarterback thought it was enough.
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Now, the Panthers have confirmed the news of Grier's retirement on their official website. With this, the reactions from players around the league also started rolling in fast.
San Francisco 49ers
running back Christian McCaffrey
went with something a little more heartfelt, writing, "Legend man. Loved playing with you. Also sickest way to retire haha 'retired today.'"
Others chimed in too. Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson
looked back on where it all started for him, commenting, "First NFL pass came from the Thrill golden arm. Changed my life."
And A.J. Brown
rounded things out with a simple send-off of his own, writing, "Congrats fam. Glad our paths crossed! 🤞🏾"
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Before any of this, Grier was tearing it up at Davidson Day School under his father and coach, Chad Grier. He picked up two Gatorade Player of the Year awards in North Carolina and was named a Parade National Player of the Year.
With his exit, Carolina's quarterback depth has been brought down to Bryce Young
, Kenny Pickett
, and rookie Haynes King
.
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