Will Grier. Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Being Joe Burrow's teammate 'big part' of Will Grier signing with Bengals

By Trevor Woods | Last updated 9/1/23

Sometimes bad experiences in life have silver linings. Quarterback Will Grier found himself on the chopping block earlier this week after the Dallas Cowboys traded for Trey Lance. However, it didn't take Grier long to find a new and better home.

After Grier was cut, he prioritized going to a place where he could win. Grier chose the Cincinnati Bengals as his next stop on his football journey.

"The coaches, the quarterback experience in this building," Grier cited as reasons he signed with Cincinnati.

The Bengals QB room includes starter Joe Burrow, backup Jake Browning and Grier. There's a good chance Grier, despite not knowing the playbook yet, will supplant Browning as the QB2 at some point this season.

"Being able to play with Joe Burrow and some of the weapons we have, a big part for me was being on a competitive team," Grier said. "Somebody that has talent, a Super Bowl contender if you will. Which clearly this place is. That was a big part of the decision."

Will Grier couldn't pass up chance to play with Joe Burrow and compete for Super Bowl with Bengals pic.twitter.com/8UVoKGchpW
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) August 30, 2023

Grier looked to be more than an adequate option as a backup QB during the Cowboys' final preseason game. Despite knowing he would be cut in the coming days, Grier suited up and put together a phenomenal performance. Grier was 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. That game film undoubtedly helped Grier have his pick of destinations in free agency after he was cut.

Joe Burrow is one of the best quarterbacks of his generation and Grier has no chance of pushing for the starting gig, he still could position himself to be the backup to Burrow. And if Burrow was ever to get injured Grier would be thrust into a situation where he's on one of the best offenses in football with wideouts at his disposal such as Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.

Grier got a raw deal in Dallas, a victim of the business side of football, which left him packing and unsure of where to go next. Now he's on a team that isn't all hype and is all ball. Grier in Cincinnati seems like a perfect fit.

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