Cowboys backup QB in very awkward situation for preseason finale

Nov 30, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; General overall view of the Dallas Cowboys logo at midfield during an NFL football game between the Washington Redskins and the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Will Grier will play the entirety of Saturday’s preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders. He will also be cut afterward, and he knows as much.

The Cowboys’ acquisition of Trey Lance from the San Francisco 49ers made Grier expendable, but it does not change the fact that he will play on Saturday. David Moore of the Dallas Morning News reported that Grier has already been told that he will not be with the Cowboys moving forward despite Saturday’s plans.

Club officials spoke to QB Will Grier before the deal for Trey Lance was made public, two people with knowledge of how the trade went down said.

He’s been told he won’t be on this team going forward but is slated to play from start to finish against the Raiders in his farewell.

— David Moore (@DavidMooreDMN) August 26, 2023

It is a bizarre situation, but it is what sometimes happens toward the end of preseason when roster spots are being shuffled all over the league. In a certain sense, the Cowboys are doing Grier a favor, as he will essentially be getting a full audition tape that other teams can look to as he looks for a new job.

Cooper Rush has been firmly entrenched as Dak Prescott’s backup, but Lance’s arrival may change that. Regardless, Grier, who previously may have made the roster as a third-stringer, is out of a job as a result.