As QB Will Grier rejoins Panthers, he wonders what his NFL future will look like
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Will Grier rejoined the Panthers as the team’s 3rd-string quarterback in offseason.
- Once a Panthers’ 3rd-round pick, Grier's last regular-season snap came Dec. 29, 2019.
- Panthers head coach Dave Canales praised Grier’s big arm and NFL experience.
The last time Will Grier played a real snap in the NFL, it was Dec. 29, 2019.
He was the Carolina Panther starting quarterback that day in Bank of America Stadium, for the second and last time — a rookie third-round pick with a nice Charlotte hometown backstory.
But in the space of four plays early in the second quarter against the New Orleans Saints, Grier experienced two “welcome to the NFL” moments that you’ve probably forgotten, even if he hasn’t.
On the first one, Grier threw a pass from his own 9-yard line, got intercepted and saw New Orleans linebacker A.J. Klein waltz into the end zone for a pick-6.
Then, just three plays later, Grier was sacked by Saints defensive end Cam Jordan. He got injured on the play, missed the rest of the game — and has never played in an actual NFL contest since.
Now it’s seven years later and Grier, amazingly enough, has returned to the Panthers. If this is a redemption arc, it sure is a long one.
Now 31, with a wife and two young daughters, Grier has even assumed the same role as he did in 2019, as a Carolina third-stringer.
A ‘tough situation’ in 2019
Back in 2019, Carolina started the year with a depth chart of Cam Newton/Kyle Allen/Grier at QB, with Ron Rivera as the head coach. But Newton quickly got hurt, Rivera got fired in December, Allen got benched by interim head coach Perry Fewell and Grier inherited a team in disarray those final two games of 2019.
“My teammates were upset about Ron being fired, guys didn’t know where they were going next; a tough situation,” Grier said.
Still, he wishes he would have played better in lopsided losses against Indianapolis and the Saints. If you’re not a first-round pick in the NFL, a guy a team has staked a lot of its future on, you have limited chances.
Those two games — 1.5 games, really — were it for Grier in terms of actual NFL experience. But he believes he will get another chance, somehow.
“All I’m focused on is getting myself ready for that opportunity,” Grier said. “That’s kind of the position I’ve been in the last few years. It’s a tough position to be in. But at the same time, I have a lot of experience and have played a lot of good ball. I just would love an opportunity to play during the season.”
This season Grier will play behind unquestioned starter Bryce Young and Kenny Pickett, who was signed to be Carolina’s No. 2 QB after the team moved on from Andy Dalton.
Give Grier credit for NFL longevity. He’s been in the NFL since 2019, making a minor name for himself as a backup QB. He’s always been employed because he’s not going to create waves but he is going to suggest some helpful things in the film room and can still play in a pinch (preseason games have provided the evidence).
Grier has worked in Dallas (twice), in Philadelphia (where he got a Super Bowl ring), in Cincinnati, in New England and with the L.A. Chargers.
“I’ve got a doctorate in football,” Grier said.
His dad Chad is a well-known high school coach, now at Charlotte’s Providence Day but once was Will’s high school coach at Davidson Day. With that unofficial doctorate, Will thinks he one day would like to coach, too.
But that day isn’t today, or anytime soon.
“I’m self-aware enough to know that I’m good enough to still play, and just need an opportunity,” Grier said. “So I’m going to play as long as I can.”
837 yards in one game
Although his wife and children have remained in Texas where the family has a permanent home, this is something of a homecoming for Grier.
I watched him play in high school at Davidson Day, where the competition was woefully overmatched on most Fridays. Grier once threw for 837 — yes, 837 — yards in a single game (the final score, in a win, was 104-80). The numbers he posted were hard to believe, until you saw him throw.
The Charlotte Observer recently named Grier as one of the best 25 boys’ athletes of the past 25 years in Charlotte, encompassing all sports. He was Parade magazine’s national player of the year.
Then came the University of Florida, where he had some success before getting suspended for taking a supplement he bought at a local nutrition store. The NCAA suspended Grier for one year. He ended up transferring to West Virginia, where he played so well they nicknamed him “Touchdown Jesus.” Grier was a Heisman contender for a while.
The Panthers drafted him in the third round of the 2019 draft.
“We like Will,” general manager Marty Hurney said at the time. “I think he’s got plenty of arm strength, just to start off…. I think he’s got an it factor that you see.”
Growing up a Panther fan
It was a cool story. Grier had multiple Steve Smith jerseys growing up. His family had season tickets to Panthers games in Section 229 of Bank of America Stadium.
But Grier’s NFL career just has never taken off like those of a couple of others who played quarterback in Charlotte as high schoolers: Drake Maye and Daniel Jones. Grier has been behind the scenes ever since those early days of his career, and unless injuries strike, that’s mostly what he will do this season, too.
What are the ideal attributes of a backup QB, besides getting ready to play just in case?
Said Grier: “You have to be helpful in the room, which is something that I’ve been at the past few stops: Just helping Bryce get ready to play. Offering my input and my experience. That’s valuable. That’s No. 1. And then No. 2 elevating the team around you. Not just the quarterbacks, but helping the receivers, the line, everything that you can do to help the Panthers win.”
Panthers head coach Dave Canales talked to Grier at length before this signing.
“Will’s a guy I evaluated when he came out (of college),” Canales said. “I’ve always loved his game: Fiery, aggressive style of play. Big arm. Accuracy. Just played with a lot of energy.
“And so I’ve just kind of followed him and tracked him all this time… It’s always good, as you’re building that quarterback room, to bring guys in with experience who have been exposed to different systems and have seen defenses around the league…. So I’m really happy that Will came in and chose to get back here into the Carolinas.”
Grier is, too. And he doesn’t wish ill on anyone. But someday, somehow, he’d love to get another chance to play in the NFL.
This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 5:30 AM.
