Why Will Grier Chose Cincinnati Bengals Over Other Options in Free Agency

The 28-year-old joined the team on Wednesday after signing with the Bengals practice squad.

CINCINNATI — The Bengals signed quarterback Will Grier to their practice squad on Wednesday. 

He spent the past two seasons on the Cowboys roster behind Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush. He knew his days in Dallas were over when they traded for Trey Lance late last week. 

“It just came down to, ‘Do you want to play football or not play football?'” Grier said after Wednesday's practice. “And I just said, ‘I want to go play.’ Yeah, I put a lot into it. So I felt good about the offense. I knew that I could go put good tape out, so I just made it simple. Yeah, I’m gonna go play.”

Grier shined in the Cowboys' preseason finale, completing 29 of 35 passes for 305 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-16 win in over the Raiders. He also ran for 54 yards and two more scores. 

His stellar play caught the attention of multiple teams, which meant he had options after Dallas released him on Tuesday. 

“It was weird being in that position, you know, fielding calls and just trying to find the right fit,” Grier said. “It was the first time I’ve gotten to choose rather than being chosen, so it was a weird process."

Why did he pick Cincinnati? 

“A big part for me was being on a good, competitive team, somebody that had talent and was a Super Bowl contender, which clearly this place is,” Grier said. “That was a big part of the decision.

"I wanted to go to a place that had a chance to win it all coming from a place like Dallas, that we were building to go win it all. I wanted to go somewhere else with that same vision and same ability and this place definitely has that.”

He joins a quarterback room that includes Joe Burrow and Jake Browning. Grier practiced on Wednesday, despite not knowing the playbook. He's probably hoping to take Browning's backup job at some point this season. 

In the meantime, he needs to get some sleep and learn the playbook.

"I'm gonna put my head down and work and we'll see how long it takes," he said. "I'll sleep good tonight, we'll catch up [on sleep], we'll be fine."

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