With an eye toward upgrading their quarterback room, the New England Patriots signed a veteran quarterback on Thursday.
Will Grier, who was cut by the Dallas Cowboys after the team traded for Trey Lance, was signed by the Patriots. Grier was on the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad after being cut by the Cowboys.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the news.
Former Cowboys’ QB Will Grier is signing to the Patriots active roster, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 21, 2023
It’s likely that Grier will compete with Bailey Zappe for the second-string role. Mac Jones is still the starting quarterback in New England, but has had an uneven start to the season. Jones has completed 68.8% of his passes for 547 yards with four touchdown passes, but has also thrown two interceptions. More problematic is that the Patriots are 0-2.
New England signing Grier leaves the Bengals in a potentially precarious spot. Grier was one of only three quarterbacks on Cincinnati’s team, along with Joe Burrow and Jake Browning. With Grier now in New England, the Bengals are left with only one healthy quarterback on the roster, as Burrow is still nursing a calf injury and his status for Week 3’s game is very much in question.
Grier was a third round draft pick for the Carolina Panthers in 2019. He saw limited action with Carolina as a rookie and none at all in 2020. In 2021, Grier signed with the Dallas Cowboys and remained with them through training camp in 2023.
