FRISCO - One of the advantages of being a backup quarterback in the NFL? Do just a little something worthwhile ... and don't screw anything up too badly ...
And you get to be a local folk hero.
Will Grier surely recognizes how that is happening now with "Bazooka'' Joe Milton and his big-armed athletic promise; Milton is suddenly the people's choice around here to serve at the backup to Dak Prescott.
And Milton, based on our observation of OTAs and minicamp, seems to be the choice of the new Brian Schottenheimer-led coaching staff as well.
Some are predicting a tight training camp competition between sudden No. 2 QB Milton (acquired via trade this offseason) and journeyman Grier (who was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft).
As we've explained here, Dallas having given up draft capital to land Milton can mean the front office wants to be right ... and wants him to get and retain the job.
We've predicted that he'll do so. Our colleague, The Athletic’s Jon Machota, adds on that he thinks the Cowboys will do so while only keeping two quarterbacks.
This means Grier won't have a job when Dallas finalizes the team’s final 53-man roster. ... and the logic is obvious and simple.
Grier almost had a backup job won a couple of years ago - behind Dak and Cooper Rush (who is now with the Ravens). He performed impressively in a final preseason game and became that aforementioned "local folk hero.''
But a few days later, the Cowboys quarterback room changed when the team traded for Trey Lance walk in free agency.
And that was the end of Grier here ... for awhile.
He's hung on more recently and is well-liked here inside The Star.
But once the Cowboys were able to land Milton from the New England Patriots in a trade?
Time for a new folk hero.
As Machota writes, "There’s really not much to debate about here. Rush was a more experienced player, but Milton has the higher upside.”
And there is something else.
If the Cowboys cut Milton? Other teams might see that upside and that cheap contract and want to claim him.
If the Cowboys cut Grier? It's a subtly smart thing to do because it's also an easy bet that he'll go unclaimed, and then boomerang back to Dallas to join the practice squad ... and get a job here once again.
The best solution at quarterback, of course? Milton excels in preseason. And Grier does, too. And then the regular season begins and we never see them again in 2025 because Dak starts 17 games for a team that figures to push to the playoffs if he does.